In a televised address to the nation on January 26 President Saakashvili said that the current energy crisis is a test for the country and called on Georgia’s citizens to consolidate in order to overcome the crisis. “We have managed to establish order in this [energy] sector… we repaired [power] lines, put hydropower plants into operation and started thinking about alternative sources of energy supplies several months before this [crisis],” Saakashvili said. “We should definitely overcome this energy offensive against us if we want to really become a successful European country,” the Georgian President stated. “And time has come when both Tskhinvali [the capital of breakaway South Ossetia] and Sokhumi [the capital of breakaway Abkhazia] will be integral parts of Georgia. We will definitely achieve this,” he said. Saakashvili said that active negotiations about Georgia’s membership in the NATO are currently underway. “This in particular makes certain forces very nervous… It should be recognized once and for all that we are part of European security structures,” Saakashvili said. “All these three goals [energy independence, territorial integrity and NATO integration] are achievable in the nearest future,” he added. Saakashvili called on the population “to assess” the current situation and understand that the future of the country largely depends on how Georgia will be able deal with this current crisis. “If we stand strong, if our enemies fail to see a frustrated, weak and pessimistic Georgia we will succeed… I say to each citizen of Georgia: 'let’s not make our enemies happy.' We will overcome this crisis and continue our development,” Saakashvili stated. |
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