Kitsmarishvili: I was forced to give away my share in "Rustavi-2"

Erosi Kitsmarishvili, former ambassador of Georgia to Russia, founder and former head the "Rustavi-2" TV Company, told in his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the country leaders had forced him to give away his share in the TV Company a couple of months after "the revolution of roses".

"I was forced to give away my share in the TV Company. In fact, it happened with all the owners of the channel. I had no relations with these people and I'm unaware of their position, therefore, I speak only about my share. It happened in June 2004, but the whole story began much earlier, immediately after the revolution. In those days all the owners of the TV channel were eager to incorporate the company and give it to journalists, its collective and the public. It was our aim, but, unfortunately, we failed," Mr Kitsmarishvili said.

"Saakashvili's unhealthy interest to grasp control over this TV channel was seen immediately," he continued, "therefore, all our further contacts showed that he was steadily using all possible resources on his way to this aim, namely, direct offers, huge PR campaign to discredit me, and his internal resources."

In his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent Mr Kitsmarishvili has stated that he had agreed to take the post of Georgia's ambassador to Russia with the aim to save the then situation in Russian-Georgian relations.

"When I saw a chance to repair the situation, which had been poisoned by numerous stupid statements, I eagerly agreed. I thought that should be able to do it, if Saakashvili could give me at least six months. But he didn't. I was recalled on July 10, six weeks after I took the post," the former ambassador has added.

As to the book that Mr Kitsmarishvili plans to publish next January, he has treated it as "a book of memoirs, a book about the history of Georgia of the 1990s, start of this century and up to today, including the August war."