Georgia, Tbilisi, October 1 / Trend N. Kirtskhalia /
To be a soldier is very honorable. But it is a dangerous profession that requires great selflessness and self-denial, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said, commenting on the death of four Georgian soldiers in Afghanistan yesterday.
The statement was made at a joint press conference at the presidential palace with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
He expressed condolences to the families of victims.
He said that Georgia is fighting for peace and against terrorism in Afghanistan. "We have friends and partners. We will continue to fight together for our common interests," he said, noting that Georgian military in Afghanistan fight for global interests of small Georgia.
"I am proud that we have self-sacrificing and heroic military", Saakashvili said. He assured NATO Secretary General that Georgia will continue to participate in the operations of the alliance, hoping for political support of Brussels.
Rasmussen also expressed his condolences. "These military sacrificed their lives in the fight for freedom and against terrorism. But they died in the fight, which will be finished. We have success in Afghanistan and complete this fight," he said.
Secretary General said that NATO's position remains unchanged. It supports Georgia's territorial integrity and confirms the decision of the Bucharest Summit. Georgia will become a NATO member.
"We have opened a liaison office in Tbilisi, which will intensify our relations. This action was made on the way of Georgia's accession to NATO," Rasmussen said.