Shevardnadze Says He Wants to Stay in Georgia

Georgia's ousted president, Eduard Shevardnadze, who resigned on Sunday in the face of popular protests, has said he will stay in Georgia despite speculation that he would move to Germany. "Although I like Germany a lot, my homeland is Georgia and I feel compelled to stay here," he told German public television. "I am not thinking of coming to Germany," he added, "but I am grateful for the invitation." A spokesman for the German government had said on Monday that Shevardnadze would be welcome in Germany due to his role in aiding reunification in 1990 in his role as the Soviet Union's foreign minister. Speculation about a possible exile in Germany was heightened when the country's Federal Border Guard said earlier on Monday that the former leader had landed in the country. It later retracted the statement.