(29 Aug 2008) SHOTLIST
AP Television
1. Convoy of cars arriving
2. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili getting out of car, shaking hands with local officials
3. Saakashvili looking at damage to buildings
4. Saakashvili greeting a local resident
AP Television
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgian President:
"You know, what was the purpose of this invasion? That was the purpose. They didn't come up here to seize a few villages or to ethnically cleanse, although they did all of this. They came here also to destroy the rest of the country and that's what they were doing, hitting the most sensitive targets."
AP Television
6. Saakashvili walking among crowd
AP Television
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgian President:
"They are occupiers. They are occupiers here and they are occupiers all around Georgia. Do you think if they are staying up in Abkhazia they are not occupiers? They are as illegal as occupiers in Abkhazia, as in Poti, in Tblisi and anywhere else."
8. Various of Saakashvili greeting local residents
POOL
9. Wide of Saakshvili greeting ministers at meeting
10. SOUNDBITE: (Georgian) Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgian President:
"Russia does not have resources to confront the civil world neither in the West nor in the East. They (the Russian government) thought they would do wrong and the West would only criticise a little and everyone would forget about it, but nobody will forget anything. Russia today is isolated as never before, and Georgia has support as never before."
11. Wide of meeting
STORYLINE
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili visited to the Black Sea port city of Poti on Friday to inspect the damage caused during the county's recent conflict with Russia over two separatist regions.
"They didn't come up here to seize a few villages or to ethnically cleanse, although they did all of this. They came here also to destroy the rest of the country and that's what they were doing, hitting the most sensitive targets," Saakashvili told reporters.
"They are occupiers. They are occupiers here and they are occupiers all around Georgia," he added.
Saakashvili was warmly welcomed by residents and workers before he went on to meet local officials.
At that meeting he delivered a warning to Russia about the consequences of their actions in Georgia.
"Russia today is isolated as never before, and Georgia has support as never before, " Saakashvili said.
His visit came as Georgian officials confirmed the country would sever diplomatic ties with Moscow to protest the persistent presence of Russian troops on its territory.
Russia criticised the move, pinning blame for a breakdown in relations on Tbilisi.
A foreign ministry spokesperson said Georgia's diplomats in Russia would leave Moscow on Saturday.
Lawmakers had voted unanimously late on Thursday to break off ties with Russia, branding it an "aggressor country" in their conflict over Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
As Georgia comes to grips with the damage inflicted by Russia's military campaign, Saakashvili seems likely to face the anger and frustration of tens of thousands of displaced Georgians.
For now, the Russian occupation of Georgia has rallied public support behind the Georgian leader. But opposition figures already hold him responsible for embroiling Georgia in a devastating war.
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