Even the pyramids might one day disappear, but not the Palestinians longing for their homeland.
— Eduard Shevardnadze
I am not responsible for the actions of Saakashvili and even for those of Gamsakhurdia.
But we cannot rely on foreign help indefinitely.
We also have a real opportunity to join NATO.
To sum up, what has been our policy? We looked for and found friends all throughout the world.
But eradicating corruption is not enough to sustain a country.
But the Americans have no extra money. They have their own problems. They can provide financial assistance for two, three, four, or six months at most.
I'm sure that was the right step, even though, formally speaking, it may seem disadvantageous for a president to resign. But, looking into what is happening today and what is going to happen in the future, I think history will show I made the right decision.
I think my resignation was the only way to avoid bloodshed.
You know in the West they support realistic forces.
I don't plan to return. I have a lot of unresolved things to do.
I was a member of the Politburo for seven years, a foreign minister.
Germany is determined to provide substantial help. So are the Netherlands and other states. But a day will come when we have to count on our own resources.
The external world is committed to helping Georgia settle its problems.
Now, the entire world community recognizes Georgia. We are members of the United Nations and the Council of Europe. Everything is being prepared so that we will soon enter the European Union.
They're making a song and dance because that serves their immediate interests. But what will happen tomorrow? They will have to pay salaries and pensions.
True, other countries are helping us. Germany is determined to provide substantial help. So are the Netherlands and other states. But a day will come when we have to count on our own resources.
It is absolutely impossible to settle the debts to pensioners, teachers, and others. The country hasn't got enough money to do so.
I couldn't stand the idea of bloodshed, casualties.
I believe politicians should always remain realistic.
In my life I have always found ways of dealing with a situation.
As for myself, I was never against Russia.
No Georgian has the right to evade or neglect his duties and responsibilities.
Prospects of normalizing our relations with Russia look good.
When I came back to power, Georgia was completely isolated on the international stage.
Corruption has its own motivations, and one has to thoroughly study that phenomenon and eliminate the foundations that allow corruption to exist.
You know, to address crowds and make promises does not require very much brains.
I believe that with the help of foreign countries - and under that condition only, because they have no other source of financing - the new government may temporarily extricate Georgia from the current situation.
But on second thought, after I decreed the state of emergency, I came to the conclusion that that was impossible to achieve without bloodshed because the street protesters were full of anger and nearly out of control. This is why I thought we needed to find another way out.
Zhvania was the general secretary of the organisation which I founded, the Citizens' Union. It was the biggest organisation and came first in all elections, and Zhvania was the leader.
I don't want to go down in history as a man who allowed blood to be shed.
