Just as Georgia must safeguard its own national and state interests, so too have Russia, the US, the countries of the European Union and every other state in the world pursued and continue to pursue their own interests. The Prime Minister of Georgia said this at today`s briefing at the Government Administration.

"This was and remains the reality of international politics. There are no exceptions in this regard. Therefore, it is precisely with this reality in mind that we should assess both the present and our historical past.

From this perspective, when discussing the present day, the government of [Mikheil] Saakashvili and the 2008 Russia-Georgia war can be regarded as a textbook example of how a government can unleash hell upon its own country and people when, instead of acting in the interests of its own country and people, it prioritizes the interests of external forces and operates in accordance with their policies.

In 2008, Russia acted in pursuit of its own coercive geopolitical interests, which is categorically unacceptable to us, as this resulted in the occupation of 20% of Georgia`s territory and Russia`s recognition of the independence of Georgia`s historic regions. However, a separate question is what the Saakashvili government was doing and why. As has been demonstrated repeatedly, both then and today, it has acted and continues to act not in accordance with Georgia`s state interests, but at the behest of external forces and in line with their interests. The fact remains that the decisions taken by Georgia`s government at the time were fundamentally incompatible with the country`s national interests and the consequences of all this proved tragic for Georgia and its people.

This is precisely why the 2008 war remains such an important lesson. It once again demonstrates that Georgia`s security and national interests cannot depend on the goodwill of other states. The ultimate responsibility for the country rests with the Georgian government and the Georgian people themselves. This reality once again shows how important it is for any government in power to put the interests of its own country first, regardless of the circumstances. Alignment with the interests of a foreign country-even if it may bring certain benefits in the short term-must never become a basis for subordinating or replacing Georgia`s national interests", - said Irakli Kobakhidze.