President Saakashvili described the calls of some opposition politicians to revise Georgia’s NATO ambitions and instead consider neutrality as “foolish” and “dishonest.”

At a news conference on February 23 a journalist from the Georgian Public Broadcaster asked the President: “There are more and more opposition parties saying that Georgia will have to say no to Tskhinvali [South Ossetia] and Abkhazia if we become NATO members. What do you think this campaign is linked with?”

“What do you think this campaign is linked with?” Saakashvili asked to the journalist in a response.

“I link this, of course, with Russia,” the journalist from the Georgian Public Broadcaster replied.

Saakashvili chuckled and then continued by saying: “Why should I respond to this question. Some may get upset.”

“Many of our compatriots have failed to become more clever. On the one hand those [voicing anti-NATO statements] are very foolish, and on the other hand they are also dishonest. Being foolish and dishonest is a very bad combination. That’s all I can say about these stupid things,” Saakashvili added.