26 November 2008, 14:20
Kitsmarishvili: for four years Saakashvili wished to drag Georgia into war
Today, ex-ambassador of Georgia Erosi Kitsmarishvili has re-confirmed his assertions made earlier. As he said, President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili had long lusted and strived for war.
"In this story entitled the Russian-Georgian War both parties are to blame. Saakashvili wanted this war and strived for it for the last four years, since July 2004," said Mr Kitsmarishvili.
The former ambassador of Georgia to the Russian Federation has also stated that he would sue the President of the country.
"In the near future, I'll submit a claim against Saakashvili with a demand to get back my share of the "Rustavi-2" TV Channel, of which I was deprived in 2004. And as soon as I get it back, it'll be immediately handed over to the journalistic community," Mr Kitsmarishvili said on November 26 in the press conference held at the Press Centre of the RIA "Novosti" in Tbilisi.
He has promised to turn his hands to what he finds very important for Georgia now. "This is the issue of openness of the society, and first of all - the availability of TV and real news items, of actual information for broad audience," Erosi Kitsmarishvili has added.
It is necessary to note here that on November 26 the administration of the President of Georgia disseminated a statement on the accusations moved by the former ambassador of Georgia to Russia at the sitting of the parliamentary commission set up for studying the August events.
In spite of the fact that Kitsmarishvili has recently worked in governmental structures, the administration asserts, his official duties had nothing to do with military and strategic spheres, and any assertions that he took part in this sort of discussions are contrary to reality.
The President's administration has re-emphasized that Kitsmarishvili's criticism was voiced after his dismissal from the post of ambassador, the statement says.
It is necessary to note here that Paata Davitaya, chairman of the ad hoc parliamentary commission for investigating the August events, made a clarification today for the journalists as to his yesterday's statement. He said that at yesterday's session he demanded to investigate into the facts presented by the former Georgia's ambassador Erosi Kitsmarishvili, not to initiate a criminal case against him.
Yesterday Mr Davitaya said that the commission was going to address the General Prosecutor's Office for mediation in opening a criminal case with charges against Erosi Kitsmarishvili of service negligence.
"Within the several months that he took the post of the ambassador, he never mentioned in his service reports to the leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia any growth of tension in Georgian-Russian relations and frank preparation of Russian authorities to military aggression against Georgia. Nowhere, he gave any estimate of the situation," Paata Davitaya stated at the sitting of the commission.
Author: Svetlana Mkrtichan, CK correspondent