President Zurabishvili: Georgia needs internal unity to overcome occupation

Georgian president Salome Zurabishvili, who has promised to take steps to make peace between Georgian political parties to allow the country ‘move forward,’ has stated that Georgia needs internal unanimity to combat the occupation problem. 

 

At a New Year reception in the presidential palace late yesterday, where she invited the representatives of the ruling party and the opposition, Zurabishvili said that there is no ‘real plan’ on how to de-occupy the Georgian territories because parties are mainly focused on other issues. 

 

Zurabishvili stated that it is time for Georgia to take a new path, a new phase of development. 

 

Dozens of opposition leaders also believe that Georgia needs the ‘national reconciliation’ which must begin by the release of imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili. 

 

The ruling Georgian Dream party, however, says that Saakashvili and his United National Movement must first ‘admit to the grave crimes committed while in office, leave politics’ and talks on reconciliation may be acceptable only after.