Mikheil Saakashvili says Kobi-Gudauri highway project opens military way for Russia to conquer Tbilisi quickly

19:31, 14.08.2019

Georgia’s former President Mikheil Saakashvili calls the Kobi-Gudauri highway project a “new Rock Tunnel” and says that if the highway is built, it opens a military way for Russia to conquer Tbilisi quickly.

“This is a new Rock Tunnel. In 2008, I ordered to retreat from Gori after receiving a notice of concentration of Russian armored vehicles at Larsi (checkpoint at Russia-Georgia state border).

If we had done so our troops would have been laid siege and killed by Russians, as they did later in Ukrainian Ilovaysk in 2014.

If the highway is built, it will open a military way for Russia to take Tbilisi quickly. This is Putin’s order, which is being fulfilled by Ivanishvili and tourism development has nothing to do with it,” Saakashvili said.

Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze said that a historic project of construction of Kobi-Gudauri highway will be launched by the end of this year and a relevant agreement will be signed in a few days.

Politics

Kobi-Gudauri highway

Mikheil Saakashvili

Rock Tunnel