Thousands Cheer as President Is Inaugurated
Rose petals floated from the sky in Tbilisi as thousands of Georgians celebrated their hopes for a new era at the inauguration of President Mikheil Saakashvili, who led mass protests that forced Eduard A. Shevardnadze to resign following allegedly rigged elections.
Saakashvili, 36, a U.S.-trained lawyer, promised integrity and hard work in pursuit of Georgia’s “unification, security and well-being.” He said he wanted to pull separatist regions back into the fold, and he reached out to Russia, which has refused to withdraw several thousand troops from the former Soviet republic.
“I am offering a friendly hand to Russia, and I am waiting for a friendly response,” he said.
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