UNITED NATIONS, September 25 (RIA Novosti) - Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has told the UN General Assembly a "Berlin wall" had divided his country into two parts since the military conflict with Russia in August 2008.
Speaking last of 35 state representatives to take the podium on Thursday at the 64th session of the UN General Assembly, Saakashvili added that Georgia's territorial integrity must be restored.
Russia recognized the independence of the former Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia last August after a five-day war with Georgia over the latter, which was attacked by Tbilisi in an attempt to bring it back under central control.
"Tragically, Georgia today like Germany a generation ago is a nation with a deep wound running through her," Saakashvili said.
The Georgian president said the "wall that runs through the middle of Georgia" had been "built by an outside force."
He called Abkhazia "the birthplace of Georgian civilization" and vowed that it would again be part of Georgia.
"It will take time, but Abkhazia I'm sure will once again be what it was - the most wonderful part of Georgia," he said.
Saakashvili did not refer specifically to South Ossetia, but said a year ago his country was "invaded." He did not identify Georgia's attackers, but said "their predecessors" had previously invaded Poland, Finland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan, and also "erased" Grozny, the capital of the Russian North Caucasus republic of Chechnya.
Saakashvili also defended himself against accusations of autocratic rule from Georgian opposition groups, saying his presidency was very democratic, adding that demonstrations against his government were a manifestation of freedom.
