To everyone's relief, the anniversary of the start of last year's August War passed off peacefully. Georgians remembered the victims in a dignified way, and the International Community's swift and clear reaction to exaggerated rhetoric about the situation on the ground around South Ossetia and Abkhazia also helped. The EU Monitors demonstrated their value once more by stepping up patrolling, and providing quick and clear information on events.
I visited the area between Gori and Tskhinvali myself, to see HALO Trust's vital work in removing unexploded ordnance left by the war. This is a really important contribution to getting life back to normal, and I'm glad that British volunteers are playing a key role in training the local people doing this difficult work.
My children have been here over the summer. We spent a few days in Batumi, enjoying being by the sea as well as exploring the new National Park at Mtirala, and visiting British and Georgian archaeologists at Pichvnari. The bustle and new construction in Batumi is impressive, offering a glimpse of how Georgia can develop in the future.
Posted at 16:50 21 August 2009 by Denis Keefe | Comments[0]
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