Statement from President Sergei Bagapsh in response to EU war report findings
September 30, 2009
STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT SERGEI BAGAPSH ON THE RELEASE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION REPORT ON THE 2008 GEORGIA WAR
“The time for debate is over. A nine-month investigation by the European Union has confirmed that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili broke international law when he launched his military attack on South Ossetia on August 7, 2008. It is time for the West to build policies based on this truth, rather than Georgia’s falsehoods.
“Saakashvili’s reckless and hostile behavior towards South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which continues to this day, has changed the political landscape forever. Abkhazia is an independent nation and will never again return to Georgian rule.
“I hope the EU report will open the eyes, ears, and minds of freedom-loving people everywhere to the truth: President Saakashvili is responsible for the August war and the humanitarian crisis it unleashed. If the West is serious about promoting peace in our region, it will push Georgia to sign and adhere to a non-violence pact instead of providing Tbilisi with arms, military training, and billions in aid.
“Abkhazia is building its future as an independent, responsible member of the global community. We urge Europe and the United States to reevaluate their misguided policies to our region based on the incontrovertible facts.”
- Sergei Bagapsh, President, The Republic of Abkhazia