State Flags Lowered to Commemorate August War 2008 Victims

• Wednesday, August 8, 11:04

Tbilisi. State flags have been lowered on Tuesday to commemorate the victims of August war 2008. Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili, issued a corresponding decree on the aforesaid on Monday, August 6. State flags above all public institutions throughout Georgia will be flown at half mast on August 7-8.

                Georgian Parliament Chairman, David Bakradze and other lawmakers gathered outside the Parliament building to attend the mourning flag lowering ceremony.

                "First of all, we commemorate those, who were killed for their motherland and recall together those times of hardship that our country and our community had to face. I would like to stress that similar developments should never happen again. Peace is a key factor that our country requires for its development," Georgian Parliament Vice-Speaker, Giorgi (Gigi) Tsereteli, told Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB)'s First TV Channel.

                The national flag has been also lowered at Tbilisi City Hall building.

                "The issue of who started the war has been frequently discussed:Russia started the war in 1801, when it invaded Georgia by means of Georgiyevsk Treaty. Russia started the war in XIX century, when it suppressed 16 riots in Georgia. It started the war, when Ilia Chavchavadze was killed and it was then, when Soviet Russia started the war and carried out occupation of the independent Georgia. Russia started the war, when our civilians were killed with entrenching spades on April 9, 1989 and carried out occupation of Tskhinvali region and Abkhazia in early 90s and then, in 2008 tried to overthrow people- elect Georgian government," Tbilisi Mayor, Gigi Ugulava, stated on air of Rustavi 2 TV.

In his words, regardless the aforesaid, Georgia "is developing and going forward."