Burjanadze Claims Georgia Should Celebrate Victory over Fascism with Moscow

Nino Burjanadze, the leader of the Georgian non-parliamentary opposition party Democratic Movement - United Georgia, says that May 9 is one of the biggest joint holidays, and one which Georgia should celebrate with Moscow.

Burjanadze made the statement in her interview with the Russian media outlet tvzvezda.ru, claiming that the Georgian leadership should seriously celebrate the jubilee- the 75th anniversary of the Victory in World War 2, and be sure to go to Moscow.

The Georgian politician claimed that May 9 is a great victory for which millions of people all over the world gave their lives, especially in the former post-Soviet space. She stated that around 700 thousand Georgians went to the front line and about 350 thousand did not return.

“Therefore, I believe that if we want to be normal people, if we value our ancestors, grandfathers and great-grandfathers, then there should not be two opinions about whether it is a holiday or not, and whether it should be celebrated in Moscow,” Burjanadze told tvzvezda.ru.

The politician also stressed that Georgians have to honor this day and the Georgian leadership should very seriously celebrate this holiday and properly mark the anniversary of the Victory.

“I believe that we need to go to Moscow, because this is really a joint celebration of a great victory in the war, in which Russians, Georgians, Ukrainians, Kazakhs, and in general all representatives of the nations who lived then in this big country fought together,” Burjanadze stated.

Russian media reports that a military parade dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Victory in the World War II will be held on May 9, 2020 on Red Square. Delegations from 75 countries will sing military songs at one of the central concert venues in Moscow on May 9.

Georgia marks May 9 every year by paying tribute to the fallen heroes. The Victory in Europe Day, generally known as V-Day, was the public holiday celebrated on 8 May 1945 to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces. The formal surrender of the German forces occupying the Channel Islands did not occur until the following day, 9 May 1945. It thus marked the end of World War II in Europe.

To note, in late October, Burjanadze visited Moscow to hold meetings with the politicians and representatives of the media. It was not her first visit to Russia as she is in favor of starting a political dialogue with Georgia’s northern neighbor, despite its occupying 20% of the country’s territories as of August 2008.

Russian media outlet Tass noted that the leader of the Democratic Movement - United Georgia apologized for the anti-Russian “provocation” that took place during a session of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy in the Georgian parliament building in June.

"I am not afraid of apologizing for that absolutely outrageous incident... I believe that it was a disgrace for the Georgian people and the Georgian state," Tass quoted Burjanadze saying at a meeting with the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Russia’s Federation Council, Konstantin Kosachyov.

The majority of the Georgian opposition parties and also the representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) government criticized Burjanadze for her visit to Moscow, saying her actions damage the image of the country and promote the Russian occupant regime.

By Tea Mariamidze

Image source: United Georgia