Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has decisively rejected the rhetoric of Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili over 2008 war, saying that it echoes the Russian position and is surprising.

"The premier makes statements that are tantamount to retreat. By making statements that Georgia had acted inappropriately during the August war, Ivanishvili gives trumps to Russia, which cannot be allowed by any means because the government should not lie that Georgia started the war," he told Georgian journalists in Warsaw.

Earlier, Prime Minister Ivanishvili said that Saakashvili could be questioned on the case of the August 2008 war, during which Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over the two rebel regions -- South Ossetia and Abkhazia -- and later recognized the breakaway regions.

"I think that the cause of this war must be investigated," Ivanishvili said. "There are a lot of questions on this issue. I think that this investigation will not cause damage to our image as the society needs the truth and we should live with truth and we should not be afraid if the society knows the truth... We should clarify what happened."

According to Saakashvili, he is guilty for the fact that he did not give up and stand for the European integration and joining to NATO till the end.

"Yes, I did not give up. I fought to the end and now we do not have to give up and give our country to others," he noted.

Saakashvili also said that his government has rebuffed the separatists and the invaders, and struggled till the end to achieve its ideals.

Meanwhile, Georgian Prosecutor General's Office is establishing a special commission on the legal study of the war in Georgia in 2008.

According to Chief Prosecutor Archil Kbilashvili, the commission will examine the legal issues of war.

"We will determine whether there were actions that fall under war crimes during the war," he said, adding that in case of necessity everyone regardless position will be questioned.

Kbilashvili noted that according to his information the Parliament will also set up an investigation committee, which will give a political assessment of the war in Georgia.