The restoration of territorial integrity is a political issue. We have no intention of using military force in order to settle internal conflicts, Mr. Saakashvili told those present.
According to Mr. Saakashvili, Georgia is creating a modern army in order to tell those forces which had provoked the Abkhazian conflict that they will encounter Defense Minister Irakly Okruashvili, as well as a modern and combat-ready Georgian army that has been trained in line with NATO standards, in case of yet another aggression against Georgia.
Journalists asked Mr. Saakashvili to comment on statements by representatives of the self-proclaimed Abkhazian republic to the effect that Georgia's Defense Minister Irakly Okruashvili will have to serve in this capacity for a long time, as he waits for Abkhazia to join Georgia.
Indeed, Mr. Okruashvili will have to work in the Defense Ministry for quite a while; still this has nothing to do with statements by some frightened separatist, namely, Abkhazian presidential candidate Sergei Bagapsh who said that Georgia must forget all about Abkhazia for the next hundred years, the Georgian head of state stressed.
Saakashvili believes that the restoration of Georgia's territorial integrity is an inevitable political process.
We will always come to terms with the Abkhazian and Ossetian nations, Mr. Saakashvili noted.
The President of Georgia confirmed Tbilisi's desire to negotiate with Abkhazia's de facto leadership; the Georgian side will advance serious peace initiatives (with regard to South Ossetia and Abkhazia) during the next few weeks, Mr. Saakashvili noted in conclusion.
