TBILISI. Aug 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili announced a general mobilization in an address to the nation on Friday, and urged all reservists to report to duty.
"Only thus shall we save our country," Saakashvili said.
The Georgia armed forces currently control the larger part of South Ossetia, he said.
Reservists began to gather in nearly all Georgian cities, an Interfax correspondent reported. They continue arriving at drafting centers, where they are assigned to battalions.
Two battalions of reservists arrived at the Telavi military base from Rustavi on Friday. Reservists are gathering at the Kutaisi military base, where they are being provided with uniforms and weapons. A battalion of reservists has been formed in Batumi. Reservists are also gathering in Samegrelo region.
Reservists, who earlier underwent special training, have been called to duty in the Georgian capital city Tbilisi. Many go to the gathering places right from their work, the correspondent said.
"In accordance with the Defense Ministry's plan, reservists will maintain order "in the territory in Tskhinvali region liberated by the Georgian military," says a statement by the press service of the Georgian prime minister, circulated on Friday.
On Thursday, Saakashvili said that he was offering immediate talks to the South Ossetian authorities to discuss a peace plan, in which South Ossetia would be given the rights of autonomy and which would take the South Ossetian residents' rights into account.
The Georgian president urged the Russian leadership to recall from the Tskhinvali region all its officials who, he said, "represent the so-called government of South Ossetia actually running the region."