Former President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko addressed Georgian citizens today in connection with the arrest and imprisonment of Mikheil Saakashvili.

«Dear Georgia, dear Georgian nation, dear friends!

It is a great honor for me to have a brief address to you, which I wanted to begin with great respect, great love, which is in the heart of every Ukrainian to Georgia, to all of you . This feeling has been formed for many, many centuries. Today we are strategic partners, we have learned to be mutually responsible and we come to each other in times of joy, and in times of sorrow, in times of great trials, and in times of celebration. My word today has to do with the arrest of President Mikheil Saakashvili. I would like to explain the logic and the point of view that I defend in this matter. But let's start in order.

In 2003, the Georgian nation adopted a new political course. A course that soon led you to a fair election, a free journalist, a free press. It has become safe to live in your cities and villages, corruption has disappeared, organized crime has disappeared. There is light in your homes, there is heat on a regular basis.

In short, Georgia has changed. Georgia is open to the whole world. You have been visited by millions of millions of tourists who also fell in love with Georgia. You have been visited by thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of investors, who have become part of the synergy that has inspired Georgia. In short, the world of Georgia has changed both internally and externally. But your enemies, your enemies, did not like such Georgia,» Viktor Yushchenko said in his address.

The former President of Ukraine recalled August 2008, when Georgia was partially occupied by the Russian Federation.

 «Free, independent, democratic and most importantly successful Georgia – Russia does not need. Both then and now, «Viktor Yushchenko wrote in his address. He recalls: “When the occupier had either 20 or 30 km to your capital, the city of Tbilisi, I, together with President Kaczynski, President Adamkus, the President of Estonia, the Prime Minister of Latvia, then stood in Tbilisi Square in front of the Parliament Square and chanted one slogan:

 “We are all Georgians today, we are all in Tbilisi today, we will not allow the occupation of Georgia. We will stand up for your capital. ”

The enemy has not come».

«I am convinced that Georgia has won a great victory, which has won millions of Georgians, not only at home, but all over the world, and not only Georgians.

All these events that I told, it was a dream not only of one man, it was the ambition of the Georgian nation. And she succeeded. President Mikheil Saakashvili, who was arrested a few days ago, was with you. He is awaiting investigation and trial. In this regard, I would like to emphasize a few positions, which, in my opinion, are very important to ensure that Georgia does not fall into the zone of destabilization, especially domestic. That Georgia does not allow democratic decline, that Georgia does not allow any isolation in considering this case,» - Victor Yushchenko wrote words of support to citizens of Georgia and Mikheil Saakashvili.