Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili honored the memory of the Georgian service members fallen heroically near the village of Shindisi during the August 2008 war, and laid a wreath at their memorial. The Head of Government spoke with the family members of the heroes killed in action.

“Unfortunately, on the same day-unfortunately, and it is our shame-on the day of this heroism, unprecedented cowardice was exhibited by our former commander-in-chief, so-called commander-in-chief.

You remember Saakashvili fleeing from the sounds of an airplane on the same day, August 11, 2008. He had a guest visiting at that time, Foreign Minister of France; and, as our heroes were sacrificing their lives, the ex-president fled, and the whole world saw the petrified expression on his face as he sprawled on the ground.

What does this tell us, friends? It tells us that our lion-hearts, our army of lion-hearts, as they say, fought selflessly and self-sacrificially, while the country had a traitorous, treacherous, embarrassing, and cowardly man at the helm. Fortunately, the Georgian nation drew the right conclusions.

Of course, this occupation is a dire legacy. Considerable portions of our ancestral lands, both regions, are occupied temporarily-and I emphasize the last word. But we, through our prudence, reason, and consistent steps, must succeed in restoring our country’s territorial integrity. This is our key goal. Once again, glory to our heroes! I bow before their memory”, - said Irakli Garibashvili.