To mark the 33rd anniversary of the outbreak of hostilities in Abkhazia, officials from the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia gathered to honor those who lost their lives defending Georgia’s territorial integrity.

Giorgi Jincharadze, Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, and Jemal Gamakharia, Chairman of its Supreme Council, laid a wreath at the memorial dedicated to the fallen heroes and paid tribute to their memory.

In his remarks, Jincharadze called August 14 “the gravest and most tragic day in Georgia’s recent history.”

“I wish to pay tribute to our heroes, to the devoted fighters, and to all those who sacrificed themselves for our country, dedicating their lives to the freedom of our homeland,” he said.

“I am confident that through the Georgian government’s pragmatic, consistent, and peaceful policy, we will one day live in a united Georgia alongside our Abkhazian sisters and brothers.”

Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Defence Minister Grigol Giorgadze; Major General Joni Tatunashvili, Deputy Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the General Staff; members of the Abkhazian government and Supreme Council; veterans of the Abkhazian war; and families of the fallen.

The armed conflict in Abkhazia began on August 14, 1992, leading to a 13-month war that caused thousands of deaths and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.