Russia is trying to destroy Georgian democracy and gain control over the entire territory of Georgia, the Georgia president, Mikheil Saakashvili, said at a meeting with the leadership of Georgian defense ministry.
"The enemy has not changed its plan, it is sufficient to watch the rhetorics of the Russian government, their information war, which is permanently underway against Georgia", Saakashvili told.
Saakashvili also recalled that in 2008 Russia announced that it would take a few days to enslave Georgia, and that Russian leaders personally called him a "political corpse" several times and threatened him. "The fact that they failed to do this, was a confirmation of their weakness", the Georgian leader said.
At the same time, he noted that the international situation, as well as the economic one, has now changed, and now "it is difficult to realize their cherished dream. "But we also know that with any change of situation, the danger may arise again", the Georgian president said.
So, said Saakashvili, the Georgia's ultimate goal is the de-occupation of its territories.
The Georgian president emphasized that the country is reviving its army and focuses on training of officers, and foreign specialists rendering great assistance in this area.
However, Saakashvili acknowledged that weapons are needed for the defense, in addition to manpower, "but today we have more than enough in theminimum of required arms, so there is no need to import them further".
Georgia, he believes, "needs other weapons", that is, a well-trained officer corps. Otherwise, to repulse the onslaught of the enemy, even possessing the best weapons, would be impossible, Saakashvili stressed.
"So our major weapon is our knowledge, skills and training, and we should work on it", explained the Georgian president.
According to him, now Georgia is correcting the mistake made several years ago, when the country dissolved the Cadet Corps. Now it has been reinstalled in Kutaisi and will be also created in Tbilisi.
Saakashvili said that the government had to cut defense funding for 2010 because of the economic crisis, but he added that authorities would "reverse that process". At the same time, he recalled that the priority of the country is education, and most money will be invested precisely in this area.
Department of Monitoring
Kavkaz Center
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