Georgian President states $2 bn loss from conflict with Russia

President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili has assessed the damage caused by Russia during military operations and accused Moscow of unleashing the conflict in South Ossetia. The British Financial Times gives an interview with the Georgian leader.

Earlier, analysts from the Strategy and Technology Analysis Centre calculated that Georgia's one day of warfare in South Ossetia was worth 4.8 billion roubles (about $200 million).

President Saakashvili asserts that the reason to start warfare was the invasion of Russian tanks into South Ossetia, while shelling of Tskhinvali was s a response step.

However, the Financial Times reminds of the statement made on August 7 by Mamuka Kurashvili, commander of Georgian peacekeepers, right after the conflict burst out. He stated then that "power agencies had decided to restore the constitutional order" in the breakaway region, saying not a word about Russian tanks.

But Mr Saakashvili insists that Georgian militaries had a mission to slow down the advance of Russian troops and to oppose them for a couple of days, during which Tbilisi hoped "to wake the world up."

Georgian President also told journalists about the enormous economic damage rendered to Georgia by the conflict. According to Saakashvili, the losses of the country's infrastructure make about $2 billion.

The data on the warfare losses presented by the Bank of Georgia to its investors is different from Saakashvili's one: the Bank estimates the damage caused by Russian troops to Georgia's civil infrastructure as $1 bn, or 8 percent of the GDP.

On August 22, the France Info reported, with reference to sources in Brussels, that the European Union planned to render additional $5 mln worth humanitarian aid to Georgia; and on August 23 it became known that Georgian government asked $1-2 bn from the USA on infrastructure restoration.