Georgia, Tbilisi, May 26 / Trend N. Kirtzkhalia /
A military parade to mark Georgia's Independence Day, celebrated on May 26 ended in Kutaisi. The Supreme Commander of the country, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili took the parade.
Before the parade, he awarded with orders and medals cultural, sports, science workers, and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Management Ramaz Nikolaishvili with Order of Saint Giorgi for the accelerated construction of the parliament building in Kutaisi.
Among the awardees were also parents of seriously wounded in Afghanistan, Georgian Colonel Giorgi Tugushi. The President awarded them with Medal of Honor for bringing up a "real hero".
After the awarding ceremony, and the performance of the national anthem a military parade was held.
Representatives of different arms of service, military equipment of Georgian manufacture, 'Lazika' infantry fighting vehicle, 'Didgori' armoured personnel carrier, an armored car with three drive axles, the unmanned aerial system, 60-mm mortar, 82 mm mortar, 120-millimeter mortar, automatic firearms, grenade launcher GP-25, grenade launcher AG-40 marched during the parade.
Parade also presented rockets "land-to-air", self-propelled Dana installations, howitzers, self-propelled guns, T-80 tanks. The parade ended by helicopters "Iroquois," MI-6, MI-28 and Su-25 Scorpion.
Military parade was for the first time held in Kutaisi. Prior to that, parades were held only in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. At this time the parade was also the biggest. It lasted 45 minutes.