The declared aim of the project is to raise national pride in young Georgians and to counter social problems of the country.
One of the Patriot camps was opened in 2007 at the village of Ganmukhuri close to the cease-fire line with breakaway Abkhazia with the declared purpose of bringing Georgian and Abkhaz teenagers together.
In July 2007 the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, expressed concern that Georgia's decision to open a Patriot camp at Ganmukhuri could fuel tensions along the Abkhaz-Georgian ceasefire line, with Georgian officials in response accusing Ban Ki-moon of seeking appeasing of Russia.
Georgia's Interior Ministry said the detained policemen were severely beaten[citation needed], and had its forces in the area put on alert.
A statement issued later by the ministry said that the incident was a provocation by the Georgian authorities aimed at internal consumption amid wave of anti-governmental protest rallies.