"Here I want to state in the clearest of terms [that] Georgia is fully committed to solving these conflicts through solely peaceful means," Saakashvili said. "Georgia will not and cannot use violence to solve these conflicts because no democracy can go to war against its own people."
Saakashvili expressed concern at Russia's support for the two regions but said he is convinced the two countries can work together. One new initiative he proposed to build trust was a joint antiterrorism center.
Separately, the Georgian president said his country is committing a force to protect UN personnel in Iraq. Such a deployment would make Georgia the first country to commit to the special UN force.
Saakashvili did not say how many troops Georgia would contribute.