Georgian PM: We Must Do Everything Possible to Restore Territorial Integrity Peacefully

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the country must make every possible effort to restore its territorial integrity through peaceful means, as Georgia marked the 33rd anniversary of the fall of Sukhumi during the 1992–1993 war in Abkhazia.

“September 27 is an extremely tragic day that reminds us of the devastating consequences of the war in Abkhazia,” Kobakhidze told reporters after laying a wreath at a memorial in Tbilisi dedicated to those who died defending Georgia’s territorial integrity.

“Today, we remember the heroes who lost their lives in Abkhazia and pay tribute to their courage and memory. This day also reminds us of our duty to them,” he said.

Kobakhidze said Georgia’s responsibility was to pursue the restoration of its territorial integrity through peaceful means.

“It was their dream. Our heroes sacrificed their lives for this dream, and it is our duty to do everything possible, peacefully, to restore Georgia’s territorial integrity and fulfil that dream,” the prime minister said.

Sukhumi, the capital of Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia, fell on September 27, 1993, during the war in Abkhazia. The conflict resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, predominantly ethnic Georgians.