The US State Department commented on Ivanishvili's idea to apologize to Ossetians

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller commented on the statement of the leader of the ruling Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili, that the Georgian authorities will apologize to the Ossetian people for the 2008 war.

"I don't think that Georgia needs to apologize for the Russian invasion. Moreover, there is no need to apologize because Russia continues to illegally occupy 20% of Georgia's territory. It is Russia that is the aggressor and continues the illegal occupation of Georgia, it is Russia that is the aggressor in the region. Of course, a vivid example of this is Ukraine," Miller said. 

Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder and honorary chairman of the Georgian Dream, said that Georgia will have to apologize to the Ossetian side for 2008 and punish the former ruling party United National Movement for "shrouding our Ossetian sisters and brothers in flames of fire in 2008."

He said this will happen after the parliamentary elections in October, at the end of which Dream expects to win a constitutional majority. 

Reprinted from newsgeorgia.ge