Held in commemoration of the four-year anniversary of the brief Russia-Georgia war, the protest was intended to express support to territorial integrity of Georgia, a country in South Caucasus.
"Four years ago, Russia invaded the Georgian territory and launched a military campaign in a democratic state. Seeing Russia's failure to comply with its 2008 promises to the international community to withdraw its Armed Forces from the occupied territories, we are gathered here today to remind (…) that promises should be kept," Valdas Benkunskas, member of the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (conservatives), told the participants.
The participants put their signatures on a symbolic map of unified Europe, which was later presented to officials of the Russian Embassy.
The protest rally featured Lithuanian and Georgian flags, it was attended by conservative MEP Radvilė Morkūnaitė, Vilnius City Council Member Vidas Urbonavičius, famous psychiatrist Dainius Pūras, monsignor Kazimieras Vasiliauskas, and Georgian Ambassador Georgi Kerdikoshvili.
The Georgian diplomat told journalists he thought the periodic negotiations held among officials of Russia, Georgia, and breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Geneva should be continued.
"We are willing to continue the Geneva talks and think that the outcome of the talks should be brotherly co-existence with the two nations in a single state. Russia probably wants the conflict hot spots to remain, it has not executed any treaties. I mean the six-chapter agreement, which had merely one of its chapters – ceasefire – put into reality. The treaty was signed by presidents of three countries, but it is not being implemented," Kerdikoshvili said.
The ambassador noted that merely a few countries – Nauru, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Russia – had recognized independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
In early hours of 8 August 2008, armed conflicts broke out between the Georgian army and separatists in South Ossetia, transforming into a war lasting several days that involved Russia, as well.
In an effort to end the conflict in Georgia, an agreement was reached. One of its chapters stipulated withdrawal of Russian forces to pre-conflict positions, with a condition that Russian peacekeepers can take additional safety measures.
Nevertheless, Russia soon recognized the separatist regions as independent countries and established its military bases there.
