Georgian PM praises Poland's regional involvement
Irakli Garibashvili, the prime minister of Georgia, has praised Poland's support for his country and Ukraine in their struggles against Russian aggression.
Garibashvili made his comments standing next to the Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, in the coastal city of Batumi, before a ceremonial unveiling of a monument to Lech Kaczyński, a Polish late president.
Kaczyński paid a landmark visit to Georgia in 2008 in the midst of the country's war with Russia.
"We, Georgians, will never forget the heroic behaviour of late President Lech Kaczyński, who came to Georgia together with other heads of state in 2008, during the war with Russia," Garibashvili said. "It was him who organised the arrival of the leaders and expressed support for the Georgian nation and Georgia."
Garibashvili also recalled a recent visit to war-torn Ukraine by the Polish, Czech and Slovenian prime ministers, who went to Kyiv to express support for yet another nation attacked by Russia.
"Poland is Georgia's main partner with whom we have bilateral and multilateral cooperation," the Georgian prime minister said.
The Polish prime minister reiterated Poland's support for Georgia's Nato and EU membership.
"Poland supports Georgia's path to the European Union, to Europe," Morawiecki said.
"We believe that every sovereign nation has the right to choose a path that it likes," Morawiecki added.
"Poland has unwaveringly supported Georgia's Euro-Atlantic ambitions not against anyone, because it is important to foster peace and the best possible conditions for cooperation between democratic states and also in cooperation with our big neighbour," the Polish prime minister said, referring to Russia.
The Russia-Georgia conflict broke out on the night of August 7, 2008, when Georgia made a military attempt to regain control over South Ossetia, which broke away from Tbilisi in the 1990s and gained de-facto independence with Moscow's informal support.
In response, the Russian Federation moved its armed forces to the separatist region and further into Georgia's territory. The war lasted five days and ended in a ceasefire negotiated by the European Union.
