In Tbilisi: Most Georgians believe Russian Aggression Continues even as Obama Statement Angers Many Georgians; Late Cold Snap Damages Georgian Fruit Trees

BALTIMORE, Maryland April 1, 2014 - Most residents of Georgia are convinced that their nation will continue to feel the sting of Russian aggression, even as reports of a Russian military build-up in South Ossetia has alarmed the nations of NATO. The survey was taken at a time when many Georgians are still bitterly disappointed at a comment that USA President Obama made at the recent nuclear summit in Brussels. That comment, which linked Georgia and Ukraine as two countries that are not NATO members and are not on a course to become NATO members. Georgia has applied to NATO and at one time, during the Bush administration, looked like it would be invited into NATO, but those hopes have been dashed under the Obama adminstration in America because Obama believed accepting Georgia into NATO would unduly antagonize Russian Strong Man Vladimir Putin. Russia has invaded both nations during the last six years, and even now has recently annexed a Ukrainian province and started a troop and equipment buildup in the Georgian Province of South Ossetia.

The International Republican Institute in Tbilisi conducted the survey and study over recent weeks, and the results were quite convincing. The survey takers interviewed some 18,992 citizens, and of them, some 71% said that Russian aggression against Georgia continues today. Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and continues to occupy parts of two Georgian provinces, South Ossetia and Abkhaz. Only 16% of the respondents believed that Russian aggression is over. The survey was conducted by IRI from February 19 to March 13 of 2014. The results have an error margin of 1.5 percent.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili assessed Obama’s recent statement as “adequate”. But even as his comment was made public, Facebook was, according to Georgia's media, "flooded" by Georgians who were outraged and disappointed by Obama's remarks. Georgians believe that their long term security would be best served if the country was admitted into NATO as a full member.

“We should not have any illusion on NATO membership,” Garibashvili commented. “What President Obama said is absolutely adequate and it is a reality that at this stage there are no plans for NATO expansion. Our mission is to give correct information to the society to avoid false expectations like we saw during the previous government,”

The Garibashvili government is involved in a high-stakes war of nerves with former President Mikheil Saakashvili, who has left the country. The Garibashvili government wants him arrested and prosecuted, or, at least, to have him questioned about a number of allegations. The United States and the EU have always looked with favor on Mikheil Saakashvili and have discouraged the current efforts of the government.

According to Garibashvili, misinterpretation of Obama’s statement is the fault of the strategy followed by the previous government, as they were artificially raising expectations and then there was disappointment within society. “We offer people something different and we want them to know reality,” Garibashvili noted, adding the government should be consistent, and continue reforms towards development and progress.

Also in Georgia, government officials say that the unusually cold weather of recent days has done damage to the nation's fruit trees, some of which had already started to bloom.