Irakli Garibashvili publishes another letter

Former Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili has released another letter, stating that the case against him is politically motivated and based on slander.

In the letter, Garibashvili outlines “what was done to strengthen the country’s defense during his tenure as Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.”

“My trial began on October 19. In this regard, I wish to state that this is a politically motivated case built on slander. The public will learn the full truth about the details of this absurd case as the proceedings unfold.

Given that the slanderous accusation brought against me concerns one of the most sensitive issues — the Ministry of Defence and the country’s defense capabilities — I consider it appropriate to briefly share with the public what was accomplished to strengthen the nation’s defense during my tenure as Prime Minister and Minister of Defence.

During this period, the following were carried out:

Long-term development planning for the Defence Forces;

Modernization of military equipment and weaponry;

Improvement of military infrastructure and the social conditions of military personnel;

Alignment with NATO standards and the transition to weaponry compliant with NATO standards;

Development of military aviation and air defense capabilities, along with many other significant projects.

‘Only the best for the army!’ This was the guiding principle on which I based my vision, policy and every decision immediately upon my appointment as Minister. Together with the Defence Forces, we presented a 10-year development strategy and action plan to the public. I later made this approach a mandatory requirement for the entire government and all ministries.

In collaboration with my team and the Defence Forces, we launched large-scale efforts to develop military infrastructure. Every military base was renovated and rehabilitated in accordance with unified NATO standards. By the end of 2023, 270 facilities — including barracks, dining halls, sports complexes and residential buildings — had been constructed or rehabilitated. In total, more than 500 facilities were renovated.

We built an ‘Army City’ and provided apartments to more than 1,000 military personnel at a nominal cost. Furthermore, we enshrined the commitment and guarantees for the continuation of this project in the Defence Code, ensuring that it would continue even after I left office.

In line with the aforementioned motto, I strove to provide the very best for our soldiers: personal gear, uniforms and footwear; address their social welfare needs; increase salaries by 50%; completely overhaul the vehicle fleet, including military transport, specialized equipment and armored vehicles; upgrade weaponry; and replenish reserves. Dozens of contracts for the procurement of armaments were signed. We restored and acquired air defense systems, fully rehabilitated our military aviation — both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters — and strengthened our artillery, logistics and overall defense capabilities.

This is a brief summary of the initiatives undertaken for our military during my tenure.

If anyone knows what I did for the army during my time as Minister of Defence and Prime Minister, it is, first and foremost, the military itself.

To illustrate this, I will recall one more fact: until 2020, Georgian Dream lost every election held at closed polling stations within the military. During my tenure as Minister of Defence — specifically, during the 2020 parliamentary elections — Georgian Dream received 85–90% of the votes at closed polling stations within the military. I believe this fact alone speaks volumes.

The adoption of the new Defence Code was a significant milestone, as it addressed and regulated many problematic issues. I would like to highlight, in particular, one of the most anti-national and blasphemous initiatives — the so-called ‘Girchi project’ — which misled more than 10,000 young people, enabling them to evade military service.

We curtailed and subsequently abolished this anti-state project. The Code also introduced reforms to mandatory military service, under which conscription is now carried out exclusively within the defence sector.

Specific training modules have been developed. Upon completing the six-month programme, young people will have acquired both theoretical and practical knowledge. Consequently, the country will have a cohort of healthy, patriotic reservists who are psychologically and morally prepared. A preliminary preparatory stage of this process involved — and continues to involve — military camps for schoolchildren.

I mention all of this so that the public may understand what our country’s interests and defense mean to me personally.

Now, as I am accused of something I never committed, the words of a great writer come to mind:

Slanderers throughout history have known well that the cruelest punishment one can inflict upon a person is to accuse them of the very thing they themselves fought against.

In this context, I would also like to recall the issue of David Gareji. During my tenure as Minister of Defence, we resumed work on this matter.

I want the public to know that years ago, during my first term as Prime Minister, we made an effort to obtain the original maps, which were essential for strengthening Georgia’s position in negotiations.

Between then and 2020, the country saw three Prime Ministers, two Ministers of Defence and three Ministers of Internal Affairs. Unfortunately, nothing was done regarding David Gareji; on the contrary, the situation deteriorated.

Under my coordination, a working group was established within the Ministry of Defence. We reconstructed the full picture and examined criminal acts committed in the past. It emerged that the very individuals who, acting on decisions made during the Saakashvili era and using incorrect maps, had sought to distort Georgia’s border were still serving as members of the state commission.

Shortly thereafter, I presented a specific vision, a set of observations and proposed solutions, prepared by professionals from the Ministry of Defence’s Cartography Department, to the party’s founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili. It was through his efforts that the original maps were successfully brought to Tbilisi by Davit Khidasheli. Furthermore, a legal response was initiated, and an investigation was launched.

As a result, the state’s position was significantly strengthened. The Patriarchate of Georgia was kept fully informed, and Archimandrite Kirion of the David Gareji Monastery was involved in the process from the very beginning. It was at his initiative and with his inspiration that I first began working on the David Gareji issue during my initial term as Prime Minister. Upon returning as Minister of Defence, I resumed the process in collaboration with him.

By my decision, the state commission was also reconstituted, with new members — patriotic professionals — added to its ranks.

The legal proceedings continued until the end of 2023. We had also engaged international consulting firms to provide assistance with legal matters.

Azerbaijan is our friend, strategic partner and neighboring state. I hope that negotiations will continue in this very spirit and that the issue of David Gareji will be resolved fairly.

And finally, I have served our army and our homeland with all my heart. The political persecution and slander directed against me are an affront to our country, the government itself and the ruling party,” Garibashvili wrote.