August 13, 2026
BlueQubit is a deep-tech company operating in the field of quantum computing, which was created by Armenians Hrant Gharibyan and Hayk Tepanyan. The company’s goal is to make quantum technologies more accessible not only to narrow specialists in the field, but also to programmers, researchers and businesses.
Recently, BlueQubit continues to expand its activities, and the interest in the company is also increasing in investment circles. In this context, BANA Angels has announced an investment in BlueQubit. The investment was made through BANA’s The Syndicate program, which enables network investors to jointly participate in the financing of prospective companies.
Quantum computing is considered one of the next big trends in the technological world. It may change fields such as drug and new material development, financial modeling, cyber security, optimization problems and artificial intelligence in the future. However, working with quantum systems remains a complex and highly specialized process.
BlueQubit, a quantum software company founded in 2022, is focused on solving this very problem. It was created by Hrant Gharibyan and Hayk Tepanyan with the aim of “democratizing” access to quantum computing and speeding up their practical application.
Hrant Gharibyan is the co-founder and executive director of the company. He is a theoretical physicist, has a PhD from Stanford University and specialized in the field of quantum information and black hole physics. He also previously conducted research at Caltech. At the company, Gharibyan is mainly engaged in the application direction of quantum technologies and adapting real-world business problems to the possibilities of quantum computing.
Hayk Tepanyan is the co-founder and technical director of BlueQubit. He is a graduate of Stanford, specializing in computer science, and before BlueQubit he worked at Google in the direction of AI/ML infrastructures. He now leads the company’s technology development, particularly in the direction of work with quantum algorithms, simulations and quantum hardware.
The combination of these two specialist experiences is one of the main advantages of BlueQubit: on the one hand, deep knowledge of quantum physics and theory, on the other hand, experience in creating large-scale software and engineering systems.
What does BlueQubit do?
In a simplified form, BlueQubit creates the infrastructure through which a user can write a quantum program, test it first on a simulator, and then, if necessary, run it on a real quantum system.
The company’s platform allows working with both quantum simulators and real Quantum Processing Units (QPUs). The platform is designed to make running quantum programs as simple as possible and with minimal technical complexity.
BlueQubit supports the use of popular quantum programming tools, including Qiskit and Cirq. The company also develops its own SDK, APIs, simulation infrastructure, and tools for quantum research.
This approach is important especially because the availability of quantum systems is still limited. Instead of a researcher or company building their own quantum system, they need to have an appropriate software environment and access to existing quantum hardware.
Quantum systems are still expensive, complex and sensitive technologies. Running every test on them right away is not always effective.
Simulators play an important role here. BlueQubit uses CPU and GPU infrastructure to simulate the operation of quantum systems using classical computers. From the first versions of its platform, the company introduced fast GPU-powered simulators and a free access option for developers and researchers.
BlueQubit’s goal is not just to create a simulation of quantum systems. The company is trying to connect quantum computing with specific applied problems.
Possible directions include:
- finance: portfolio optimization and complex financial modelling;
- pharmaceutics and medicine: simulation of molecules and materials;
- development of new materials,
- cyber security and cryptography,
- artificial intelligence and machine learning,
- complex optimization problems,
- scientific research and modeling of physical systems.
In these areas, quantum systems do not yet replace classical computers. However, for certain types of problems, they may provide a computational advantage in the future. In BlueQubit’s own materials, it is also emphasized that quantum systems are currently more correctly considered as a powerful tool for special problems, and not as a complete replacement for conventional computers.
The company is engaged not only in the development of the software platform, but also in the research of quantum algorithms and quantum machine learning.
In 2023, Hrant Gharibyan and Hayk Tepanyan co-authored research on the “Hierarchical Learning” method, the purpose of which is to make the learning of large-scale variational quantum circuits effective. In the study, the approach was also tested on a large number of qubits with GPU simulations.
In 2025, BlueQubit’s platform was also used in quantum image processing research. The team of scientists conducted experiments on quantum systems from IBM and Quantinuum, including image classification experiments using up to 72 qubits.
DARPA-from until USA: of energy ministry
BlueQubit’s activities also go beyond the startup environment.
In 2023, the company’s algorithm was selected as part of the IMPAQT program of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA. The project focused on the development of applied quantum algorithms for today’s noisy intermediate-scale quantum systems.
In July 2026, BlueQubit and partners also received Genesis Mission grants from the US Department of Energy totaling $1.5 million. Within the scope of projects, the company works with Microsoft, national laboratories and a number of universities in the direction of quantum error correction and development of fault-tolerant quantum computing.
BlueQubit has already attracted large private investments. In late 2024, the company announced a $10 million seed round led by Nyca Partners. Investors also included Chaac Ventures, Restive Ventures, Alumni Ventures, NKM Capital, BigStory VC, DEPO Ventures, Formula VC, Untapped Ventures and Granatus Ventures.
The Armenian investment ecosystem is also involved in BlueQubit’s story. Granatus Ventures mentions the company in its portfolio and introduces Hrant Gharibyan and Hayk Tepanyan as founders of BlueQubit.
BANA Angels-in: new the investment
Against this background, BANA Angels also joins as a new investor. The organization announced an investment in BlueQubit through BANA’s The Syndicate program.
The program enables investors from the BANA Angels network to come together and jointly invest in companies that develop advanced technologies and innovative solutions.
According to BANA Angels, by joining BlueQubit, the organization aims to support the further development of the company and participate in shaping the future of quantum computing.
The new investment is particularly interesting because BlueQubit already has a product in the international market, a large investment round and experience in research collaborations. That is, BANA’s investment is made at the stage when the company has already passed the stages of idea and initial product formation and is trying to expand its technological and commercial influence.
Although BlueQubit’s main operations are in the US, the company also has a team and technology presence in Armenia. The company previously announced the recruitment of backend developers in Armenia, emphasizing that the team will participate in the development of the infrastructure and platform of quantum solutions.
This circumstance makes BlueQubit an interesting example for the Armenian technological ecosystem. the company was created by founders of Armenian origin, operates in the global market and at the same time maintains connections with Armenian technological specialists.
SIRARPI AGHABABYAN
—
168: Middle East. the birth of a new “axis”. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and P
August 13, 2026
On August 7, Turkish President Recep Erdogan, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif signed a “collective defense agreement” aimed at “strengthening collective deterrence of any form of aggression” at a ceremony in Mecca, which stipulates that an armed attack on any of the three states will be considered an attack on all.
However, the specific obligations of the parties have not yet been revealed. Moreover, a certain analogy with the infamous Article 5 of the NATO treaty can be observed. The subtlety of the situation is that Pakistan is known to have nuclear weapons. The agreement also provides for the development of defense cooperation between the three states in all directions, it is noted in the joint statement adopted as a result of the meeting of the leaders of the three countries. In addition to the location of the signing of the agreement, Friday, a special day of collective prayer for Muslims, also seems symbolic.
The complex work on the agreement has been going on for more than a year, relying on previously reached documents and informal agreements meant to regulate and restore Turkish-Saudi understanding. To remind, in 2011, Recep Erdogan supported the mass protests, which became known as the “Arab Spring”, while Riyadh considered the speeches covering many countries of the Middle East and North Africa as a threat to the monarchical government system. In 2015-2016, Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined forces to counter Turkey in Libya. They also supported President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who came to power in Egypt as a result of a military coup, whom Erdogan strongly criticized at first.
However, earlier mistrust in Turkish-Saudi (as well as Turkish-Egyptian) relations has been gradually overcome in recent years, bolstered by major defense contracts. Closer ties have been established between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which signed a mutual defense agreement in September 2025. In March 2026, the heads of the foreign ministries of Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt were holding talks on the formation of a joint system of Collective Security, which was more than required due to the current trends in the Middle East crisis.
It seems that each of the signatory states can be considered individually as an ally of the US, even if it is not ready to listen to the infamous “Uncle Sam” on every occasion. However, it can be safely argued that the “Mecca Agreement” is the result of diplomatic efforts by the three leading states of the Islamic world, in the context of the visible degradation of both the American military presence in the Middle East and strategic planning in general.
For what it’s worth, even just the aggression against Iran, which forced Tehran to respond to the United States and Israel, also hitting various facilities in the territory of a number of Arab monarchies that are part of the Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Persian Gulf. It is clearly not accidental that some ill-wishers tried to give a unique interpretation to the “Mecca Agreement”, starting to make judgments about the alliance of the leading Sunni states, which is allegedly aimed at “containment” of Shiite Iran. However, this is unlikely to be the case. Ankara has stated that the agreement is exclusively defensive in nature, is not directed against any specific state and is open to other countries in the region to join.
It can be assumed that, first of all, we are talking about the Arab Republic of Egypt. Erdogan and al-Sisi align their positions with the overall concern of Israel’s war in Gaza, which the United Nations has recognized as genocide, as well as the periodic attacks by ISIS on neighboring countries. Moreover, In February 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced “the intention to create its own axis of states confronting the two axes of radical Islam. These states stand against the radical Shiite axis, which we have already dealt a significant blow, and against the emerging radical Sunni axis. In the future…we will create a whole system, a hexagon of peculiar alliances, which includes India, Arab countries, African states, Greece and Cyprus.
In Israel, the Turkish-Saudi-Pakistani agreement is perceived as a real threat to the panorama of consistently deteriorating relations with Ankara.. Neither Pakistan nor Saudi Arabia, despite some behind-the-scenes moves, recognize the “Zionist regime” and are unlikely to do so in the foreseeable future, despite attempts by the White House and foreign lobbyists to advance the so-called “Abraham Accords” aimed at lifting Israel out of regional isolation.
It should be assumed that the agreements formed in Mecca will contribute to close political-diplomatic coordination between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, as well as give additional impetus to trilateral military-technical measures, including the expansion of the possibility of arms exports, which is especially important for Turkey.
Pakistan is the only state in the Muslim world that has nuclear weapons, and it is no secret that both Riyadh and Ankara are actively interested in the relevant technologies. Energy-rich Saudi Arabia is the only G20 Arab country to host Mecca and Medina, the traditional pilgrimage sites for Muslims from around the world.
The Republic of Turkey, located in Asia and Europe at the same time, maintains the second largest army among NATO countries and has its own voice within the Alliance, which may also be of interest to partners. Thus, each of the signatories has its own special advantages, which advantageously distinguishes the new defense alliance from such organizations as the League of Arab States, the above-mentioned Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf, or even the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which at every step demonstrate their, to say the least, insufficient efficiency.
As an Al-Jazeera correspondent stated in a report from the scene of events in Mecca, the agreement “essentially unites the three largest Muslim countries, heralding the beginning of a different security architecture in the Middle East»: Perhaps, it is still premature to talk about “unification”, as the agreement has yet to pass the test of time. Opponents are clearly not going to sit idly by, and previous disagreements over one or another conflict plot may once again enter the actual agenda. However, “The Mecca Agreement” testifies to the regional powers’ desire to form their own system of collective securityto the long-term escalation of instability in the Middle East and the irretrievable past of American hegemony.
Translation by Zhanna Avetisyan
Աղբյուրը՝ infoshos.ru
—
RFE/RL – Pashinian Softens Rhetoric On Russian Control Of Armenian Railway
- Shoghik Galstian
Two weeks after threatening legal action to end Russia’s management of Armenia’s railway network and triggering stern warnings from Moscow, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Thursday that he is open to a “compromise” deal on the issue.
Pashinian made clear that his government will not unilaterally scrap a 30-year management contract with the Russian Railways (RZhD) monopoly signed in 2008. He also seemed to walk back on his threats to charge RZhD as much as $2 billion annually for its management rights.
“I suggested this as one of the possible development scenarios without having anything specific in mind,” he told reporters.
“We want an amicable solution, we don’t want a [contract] dissolution,” he said. “We can always do it, we can do it today, but we don’t want to go down that path.”
The remarks contrasted with what Pashinian said on July 30 three days an apparently tense phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He declared that there is “no alternative” to ending the Russian control of Armenia’s railways.
“If there is a disagreement, then we will go to arbitration to do something, to discuss,” he said.
The RZhD chairman, Oleg Belozerov, responded by saying that Yerevan would have to compensate his company for about $400 million in investments its claims to have made in the network since 2009. Russian Minister for Economic Development Maksim Reshetnikov echoed the warning. Reshetnikov said Armenia would also pay a heavy price for its exit from the Eurasian Economic Union.
Moscow has since continued to press Yerevan to call a referendum on remaining part of the Russian-led trade bloc or continuing to seek membership of the European Union. Pashinian remains reluctant to do that, mindful of the Armenian economy’s heavy dependence on Russia.
Pashinian first called for an end to RZhD’s presence in Armenia in February. He said the Armenian railway should be run by another, non-Russian company because its current status discourages Turkey and Azerbaijan from using a much larger section of Armenian territory for transit purposes.
—
More Subsidies Approved For Armenian Exporters Hit By Russian Sanctions
- Narine Ghalechian
The Armenian government approved on Thursday about 5.65 billion drams ($14.6 million) in fresh subsidies to local agricultural exporters that manage to find new markets for their products recently banned by Russia.
The government already allocated a similar amount of financial aid to them in early June after Moscow blocked imports of Armenian fruits, vegetables, fish, flowers, mineral water and some alcoholic beverages on supposedly sanitary grounds. It set specific amounts of compensation for each of those items exported to countries other than Russia.
Deputy Economy Minister Arman Khojoyan spoke of “obvious progress recorded in the process of diversifying export markets” during a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan. Khojoyan listed the physical volumes of the affected products which he said were exported to some two dozen countries last month. But he did not compare them with corresponding export data for the same period of last year.
According to official statistics, Armenia’s overall exports tumbled by more than 20 percent year on year in June. Russia has long been their single largest destination. Russian officials put at over $700 million the annual amount of Armenian imports covered by the sanctions.
Fresh Line, an export-oriented company that has greenhouses and orchards and also buys produce from farmers, was among the recipients of the first subsidies. Its founder, Gevorg Ghukasian, plans to also take advantage of the government’s second aid package.
“We have exported apricots, plums, pepper, tomatoes and a small amount of cherries,” Ghukasian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “The subsidies are critical for this process.”
The government has in turn received 52 million euros ($60 million) in financial aid from the European Union to cope with consequences of the Russian embargo. Visiting Yerevan last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised that the EU will open its tightly protected and regulated market to Armenian agricultural products.
The Russian sanctions followed two European summits in Yerevan during which Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian reaffirmed his administration’s intention to seek Armenia’s eventual accession to the EU. Russia says these aspirations are no longer compatible with the South Caucasus nation’s membership in a Russian-led trade bloc essential for the Armenian economy.
While repeatedly urging Moscow to lift the sanctions, Pashinian has described them as an “opportunity” to diversify Armenian exports. He again urged local agribusiness firms and farmers on Thursday to use it.
Many of them are skeptical about prospects for redirecting their exports to the EU. They argue that they cannot quickly switch to the EU market due to a lack of established business contacts, much higher transport costs and the bloc’s stringent food safety standards.
Fresh Line’s Ghukasian cited the same problems. He said that only one of his company’s new export markers, Poland, is an EU member state.
“We still have a long way to go to gain a foothold there,” said the businessman.
—
Former Armenian Speaker Gets New Government Job
Alen Simonian, a former parliament speaker unexpectedly pushed out by the ruling Civil Contract in late June, was appointed as the new secretary of Armenia’s Security Council on Thursday.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian announced Simonian’s appointment during a weekly meeting of his cabinet. He gave no clear reason for his decision to replace the current secretary, Armen Grigorian, who has held that position for over eight years.
“It’s not that I’m dissatisfied with Armen Grigorian’s work,” he told journalists after the cabinet meeting. “But it’s not that I’m so satisfied with my own work that I consider it perfect. I think such decisions are normal in politics.”
Pashinian said that Grigorian has turned down his offer to join his staff. He did not specify the position offered to the latter.
A longtime Pashinian ally, Simonian served as parliament speaker from 2021-2026. He expected to retain his post after the disputed parliamentary elections held on June 7 and won by Civil Contract. However, the party’s governing body designated instead one of his deputies, Ruben Rubinian, as new speaker on June 25.
Pashinian is believed to have engineered the unexpected decision that led Simonian to refuse to take up his seat in Armenia’s new parliament.
Simonian was dogged by controversy throughout his five-year tenure. In particular, he infamously ordered his bodyguards to catch and overpower a heckler in Yerevan before spitting at the man’s face in 2023. A year later, Simonian publicly insulted a Nagorno-Karabakh activist who berated him and other top state officials during an official ceremony.
—
RFE/RL – Another Armenian Oppositionist Arrested
- Naira Bulghadarian
A prominent opposition figure based in Gyumri was arrested on Thursday on charges which his lawyer and political allies said are part of government efforts to seize power in Armenia’s second largest city.
The Anti-Corruption Committee (ACC) accused Martun Grigorian of violating a legal ban on pre-election benevolence. The law-enforcement agency searched his home and campaign headquarters in Gyumri ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections. It released at the time wiretaps of a phone conversation purportedly substantiating its claim that Grigorian gave a local voter construction materials to repair his apartment.
Grigorian, who ran in the elections on the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party’s ticket, denies the accusation. The Prosperous Armenia leader, Gagik Tsarukian, was arrested on July 6 in a crackdown promised by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. Dozens of other opposition members and supporters are also held in detention on election-related charges rejected by them as politically motivated.
“What happened this morning, namely the arrest of Mr. Grigorian, was expected to us,” his lawyer, Arsen Babayan, said, calling it “political persecution.”
Investigators already raided Grigorian’s home and arrested his father and son ahead of a municipal election held in Gyumri in April 2025. That did not prevent a local bloc led by Grigorian and three other opposition groups from collectively defeating Pashinian’s Civil Contract party. The leader of one of those groups, Vartan Ghukasian, was installed as mayor as a result.
Ghukasian was arrested and charged with bribery last October three weeks after Pashinian pledged to oust him from “the political and public arena.” A Yerevan court moved him to house arrest last month despite two more criminal charges leveled against him in June. The fresh indictments coincided with Pashinian’s calls for a snap municipal election in Gyumri which he said should take place “as soon as possible.”
Babayan and Liza Gasparian, a senior member of Grigorian’s Our City bloc, claimed that the latest arrest is also aimed at causing the opposition majority in the city council to collapse and pave the way for the vote sought by Pashinian.
“Our political team is a quite important component of the opposition camp,” said Gasparian. “So this [arrest] is definitely political pressure.”
—
A decision was made to arrest Martun Grigoryan. he was taken to Hakakori
August 13, 2026
Former NA deputy Martun Grigoryan was taken to the Anti-corruption Committee with the arrest decision a little while ago. Liza Gasparyan, head of the faction of Gyumri Council of Elders “Our City” of the political team of former NA deputy Martun Grigoryan, announced.
It is not known within the framework of which criminal proceedings the operation was carried out.
—
The arrest means that the prosecutor has already initiated public charges against Grigoryan
August 13, 2026
Lawyer Arsen Babayan writes:
“While I am waiting for the meeting with Martun Grigoryan in the anti-corruption committee, I will present the planned procedure.
The arrest for the purpose of presenting to the court means that the prosecutor has already initiated a public criminal prosecution against Martun Grigoryan, and the investigator has come to the conclusion that it is necessary to apply such a restraining measure, the application of which is reserved to the court.
In other words, it is expected that the Anti-Corruption Committee will submit a petition to the Anti-Corruption Court within 24 hours regarding the application of a restraining order.
At the same time, the investigator is also authorized not to initiate such a motion and to release the accused from arrest.
Taking into account the previous experience, as well as the maximalist approaches of the investigative bodies, it can be assumed that the petition will be submitted precisely for the purpose of applying detention as a preventive measure.
—
The tender appeal fee of 20,000 became 10 million. will they appeal?
August 13, 2026
«My speech is dedicated to the sectoral issues of the Finance and Budget Committee, in particular, the state budget and financial control. Why, because it is obvious that proper financial control over the effective and rational use of state budget funds will be the basis for a stable economy of our state. And in this context, I attach great importance to the effective spending of state budget funds and control over them in the field of state procurement,” Hasmik Yengoyan, a member of the “Strong Armenia” opposition faction, said today in the National Assembly.
He spoke about the following issues in his speech.
Issues in the field of public procurement
“Why am I talking about public procurement, dear colleagues, because the state budget funds are approximately up to 45% is spent in this sector (the rest is salaries, social security payments and military spending). It is natural that if it is possible to spend that 45% of the budget effectively, we will have real savings and a really strong economy. In this context, one of the most important functions of this commission should be effective financial control.
And what do we really have? In fact, the control system that was working at least until 2022, at the initiative of the government and the law passed by the National Assembly, was fundamentally destroyed.
More objective. In 2022, the government presented to the National Assembly a project by which the system of complaints of businessmen in the field of public procurement was significantly revised, and, I will not be afraid of this word, worsened: The rights of businessmen in this area were significantly reduced, which brings and will bring serious corruption risks,” he said.
Changes to the appeals system and their implications
“Until 2022, in the case of disputes related to purchases, when businessmen noticed obvious illegalities on the part of state bodies, they had the opportunity to appeal it to a special judicial administrative body, called “Complaint Examiner”:
In 2022, at the initiative of the government, that body was dissolved and the opportunity to investigate complaints was given exclusively to the courts:
It seems that this is just a legal dispute and not very interesting, but what actually happened?
- Loss of accessibility. Previously, business owners could apply for services without a lawyer, as the procedure was easy and cheap. Now, when the question has been submitted to the courts, businessmen have to bear huge costs by resorting to legal services (which, by the way, have also entered the field of VAT and have also become more expensive).
- Unbelievable increase in state taxes. With the same package, the Law “On State Duty” was also amended. Determined for examination of tender complaints The state tax of 20,000 drams became up to 10 million drams:
Imagine the situation. if the entrepreneur sees that the invitation to tender is discriminatory, is written “for a specific company”, or was illegally rejected in order to recognize the winner of the participant who offered a more expensive price in second place, and wants to restore his right, he has to pay a fee of 1% of the price of the given procurement procedure (tenders).
If, for example, tenders worth 1 billion drams are disputed, the state fee for the lawsuit submitted to the court for the recognition of the right can be up to three instances. 30 million dramsnot including legal fees,” noted the lawyer MP.
Systemic problems and corruption risks
“As a result of all this, businessmen and thinking people have a valid impression that the ruling power with this project simply does not want the field of tenders to be disputed, so that the state bodies can do what they want in this field. Businessmen refrain from going to court, fearing to lose those enormous sums, because they enter into a kind of “war” with the state.
This is problematic even for judges. If the judge approves the claim, he has to make a decision to return the state tax (for example, 10 or 20 million AMD) to the business owner. While in case of private disputes money is taken from one company and given to another, here the other side is the state, and the money must be returned from the state budget.
Thus, the right to effective judicial protection has been limited at the legislative level, which will definitely lead to the flourishing of real corruption schemes and mechanisms in the field of public procurement (45% of the budget). There is no control, there is no institution of punishment,” said Hasmik Yengoyan.
Judgments without consequences
“To the credit of our courts, even under the conditions of this huge financial burden, there are businessmen who fought for their rights, and there are many satisfied claims. Courts have often found that invitations to tender contain discriminatory requirements, impose conditions that serve the interests of a particular company, and wrongfully reject bidders.
Dear colleagues, a question arises. How many official investigations have been assigned to those guilty evaluation commissions and heads of clients? I have not received such information. But doesn’t the ruling power already have a legally effective judicial act, where the illegality committed in the field of state tenders has been recorded in black and white? Were the aforementioned persons punished? Of course not, which once again suggests that corruption is flourishing in this area.
I can say a lot more about purchases, purchases made by one person and blacklists, but considering that my time is limited, I will use this opportunity next,” concluded the member of the “Strong Armenia” faction.
Details in the video.
—
Kobakhidze called Saakashvili a “foreign agent” and again accused 2008-
August 13, 2026
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the country’s third president, Mikheil Saakashvili, a “foreign agent” and once again accused him of unleashing a war in August 2008. Kobakhidze made this statement on the occasion of the 18th anniversary of the war with Russia.
“We accuse Saakashvili’s bloody regime of starting the war. At that time, this country formally had a traitorous commander-in-chief. Saakashvili is a shameful, dirty foreign agent,” he said, adding that the third president tried to “attribute to himself” the heroism of the Georgian soldiers who died while defending the homeland.
Responding to the journalists’ question whether the authorities’ statements do not discredit their own country and its defenders, Kobakhidze noted that it was the “Georgian Dream” government that defended the honor of the Georgian soldier in the international arena. According to him, the authorities managed to prove that “the Georgian soldier did not commit war crimes” at the international courts in The Hague and Strasbourg.
In addition to accusations of starting the war, Kobakhidze questioned the legitimacy of Saakashvili’s rule in 2008. According to his claim, the extraordinary presidential elections held in January 2008 were “completely falsified”, which became one of the main factors determining the tragic Escalation.
—