Georgian president appoints new governors, nominates Abkhazia coordinator

Imedi TV, Tbilisi
28 Sep 04

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has appointed three new regional
governors. At a news briefing held in Tbilisi on 28 September,
broadcast live by Georgian Imedi TV, Saakashvili also nominated
former deputy security minister Irakli Alasania the new head of the
Tbilisi-backed government of Abkhazia in exile. The president said that
Alasania, whose father was executed by Abkhaz separatists in 1993,
would be “Georgia’s main spokesman on the Abkhazia issue” and would
“coordinate all our activities” with respect to the breakaway region.
Asked about relations with Russia, Saakashvili said Georgia had no
secrets from the Russian secret services when it came to the fight
against terrorism. He went on to say that prospects for co-operation
on Abkhazia were good. He also touched on the controversial bill on
broadcasting, saying that no restrictions will be imposed on private
channels “as long as he is president”. The following is an excerpt
from the news briefing broadcast by Imedi TV; subheadings have been
inserted editorially:

Three new governors appointed

[Imedi TV interrupts its broadcast to go live to the president’s news
briefing held in the State Chancellery]

[Saakashvili] Greetings. I have not held this kind of news briefing
for a long time, so I think there are many topics to talk about. First
of all, I want to say that we have made several decisions with respect
to the regions of Georgia and our regional policy.

Since the [November 2003] revolution, we have managed to achieve
many positive results. Pension and salary arrears have been repaid,
for the most part. Only about 50m [lari] of pension arrears remain
outstanding. [Passage omitted]

I should say that I am not dissatisfied with the work of the governors
in Samegrelo or Imereti Regions. In Samegrelo, Leri Chitanava has
managed to neutralize almost all paramilitary groupings. You may also
remember rallies staged by refugees, associated with the Saposto Banki
[Post Bank] and injustice. These problems no longer exist, he managed
to put this system in order. Generally, he is a good man, we should
appreciate this, and we will not lose him. The same goes for [Davit]
Mumladze [in Imereti]. [Passage omitted]

Now we need new energy. We need personnel changes. These people
have accomplished their main role at the first stage, from the point
of view of stabilization. Now we need personnel changes which will
create a basis for steady economic growth. This will not be a simple
task. [Passage omitted]

We have made the decision to appoint a new governor of Samegrelo,
Gigi Ugulava, who until now has been deputy minister of security. He
acquired most substantial experience before that too, when he worked
in the Justice Ministry. I think this is a very good appointment. This
region, Samegrelo, which has a great potential and energy, should
open up. Samegrelo has suffered more than other regions during the
past few years. The new governor should be a slave of Samegrelo, so to
speak. He must do everything to revive this unique region of Georgia,
which needs extraordinary attention because it suffered the most during
the civil war. Gigi [Ugulava] received a very good education, both in
Georgia and abroad, he speaks several foreign languages. This is very
important for contacts: foreign, domestic and business contacts. He
also knows the security structures very well, which is very important
there [in Samegrelo], and I think he will be a good governor.

In Mtskheta-Mtianeti, we are appointing Giorgi Khachidze, Goga
Khachidze. We have just summoned him back from the army. During the
last few weeks, he has been staying in a camp of reservists. While some
other garrulous politicians of ours want to defend our motherland with
their tongues, Goga and his friends from the parliamentary majority,
including some senior people, have been waking up at six o’clock in the
morning, running 10 km, and training in various disciplines of which
I, as a civilian, have little knowledge. So we summoned him back and
we are appointing him the new governor of Mtskheta-Mtianeti. I think
that Goga is a good choice. He is very honest, he has an absolutely
untainted reputation, and he is an idealist, which is a necessary
quality for all our appointments made after the revolution.

In Imereti – I repeat once again that I am grateful to [Davit]
Mumladze, I believe that he has worked very well, he has resolved
many issues in the region which was almost ruined in economic
terms. [Passage omitted] However, I think that we need to start a
new stage there. Therefore, I believe that Gia Getsadze, who has been
first deputy minister of internal affairs, [Irakli] Okruashvili’s first
deputy, will be a good replacement. I selected him according to the
same criteria: He has experience of working in the law enforcement
structures, he speaks foreign languages, he has had contact with
business structures and knows how they work, and he has an absolutely
untainted reputation.

New head of exiled government nominated

You know that the main topic for me, as well as for the Georgian state,
is the topic of Abkhazia. This does not mean that we will be able to
resolve this problem tomorrow. We cannot, because the current level of
Georgia’s economic development and the current level of development
of the Georgian state, and other factors associated with the state
is not adequate – because of many years of destruction – to resolve
all our problems of territorial integrity, and the main problem, the
problem of Abkhazia. This will require years of preparation, this will
require the unity of the entire nation, not that disgusting squealing
which we can hear so often and which is aimed at sowing pessimism
and defeatism. But today the majority of the Georgian nation – and
I mean all nationalities – is united as never before and understands
that everything – the reduction in the level of corruption, economic
progress, stabilization and consolidation of the state organization –
serves one purpose, the unification of Georgia.

We need a structure that will work on the Abkhazia issue day and
night. The [Tbilisi-based] Council of Ministers of the Autonomous
Republic of Abkhazia is this kind of structure. To tell the truth, this
council has not been distinguished by its level of activity. I want
to tell you straightforwardly that some of its representatives were
distinguished by their enormous appetites and by misappropriating the
funds allocated for refugees. Now we are going to turn this structure
into a compact body. There is no need to have many staff there.
This will be a structure which will coordinate all our activities
on Abkhazia.

You know that yesterday we presented the family of Zhiuli Shartava
[Tbilisi-backed prime minister of Abkhazia executed by Abkhaz
separatists after they captured Sukhumi in September 1993] with the
order of hero of the nation. Gen Mamia Alasania, another hero, died
together with Zhiuli Shartava. This fearless man had also decided to
stay in the besieged Government House [in Sukhumi], and honourably –
and you can see this in footage which has been shown many times –
gave his life for his country. He was a prominent representative of
our law enforcement structures.

His son, Irakli Alasania, used to work in our embassy in America, and
he was a very good and competent employee. Then he worked as deputy
security minister and effectively supervised the Pankisi operation. He
carried out very important operations in Pankisi. Now he is deputy
secretary of the National Security Council. I would like to say that,
apart from personal sympathy, I have no close relationship with
Irakli. My mother is also Alasania, but you should not think that
there is some kind of [changes tack] – I am sure that some rascals
will emerge and start shouting that I am appointing my relatives to
top positions. This is not the case. There is no ministerial post
for my relatives. But every possibility is open for Irakli. We are
entrusting him with coordination of this entire direction. I think he
will coordinate both economic and diplomatic activities with respect
to Abkhazia as well as some law enforcement activities. You know that
the crime situation there is very serious.

We are reorganizing the Council of Ministers of Abkhazia. Hopefully,
the approval of this decision will not be delayed [in the
Tbilisi-backed Supreme Council of Abkhazia]. I will ask them to call an
extraordinary session tomorrow and approve Irakli Alasania. I believe
that, at this time, there is no better person than Irakli to work
on this issue. This is a person whose heart is in Abkhazia. This is
a matter of personal dignity for him. This is a matter of personal
dignity for me as well, but in his case it is more so because his
dearest family member sacrificed his life for this cause. So, this
is the main goal of his dignity, future and life. Therefore, we are
entrusting these duties to this man, and you should know that he will
be Georgia’s main spokesman on the Abkhazia issue in general.

This is what I wanted to say with respect to these personnel changes.

Tough line with BP benefits Georgian resort

I also want to speak about another issue. There has been some squeaking
recently, with several politicians saying that we have created tension
in relations [with the West] by imprudently raising the issue of
oil pipeline safety. They were alleging that our relations with our
friends deteriorated last summer because of this.

These politicians, who are not particularly smart in politics,
as always, were proved absolutely wrong. Following several months
of very tense talks, we have practically reached an agreement with
British Petroleum – details remain to be finalized – under which
Georgia will receive an additional tens of millions of dollars. We
would not have received this money without this agreement.

I have promised Borjomi residents – this is under my personal control
and mainly concerns the Borjomi valley – that we will build a very
good recreational park in Borjomi next year. It will be ready next
May and will serve the whole of Georgia. We will import very good
roundabouts and build a kind of mini-Disneyland. I will do this. I
personally promised this.

We will build hotels there and will turn Borjomi into a top-level
resort. Present-day ruins that look like bomb-sites [changes tack] –
Let people be confident. The unions have already softened following
my warning and are ready to hand over [facilities] after refusing
to do so for 12 years. They be returned to the Georgian people. We
will build a world-class resort there next year. I, like many of us,
spent my childhood in Borjomi and I want it to be the same as then,
ten times better than then, and not to be in ruins as it is today. I
want Georgians, and not only Georgians, to return there.

For the first time [in recent times], the number of tourists
in Ajaria has doubled this year, mainly thanks to Armenians and
Azerbaijanis. Armenians and Azerbaijanis have started going there
because the traffic police are no longer extorting money from them. By
the way, I am putting up posters along the road with hotline telephone
numbers and an appeal in several languages to telephone if stopped
by police. A controller will arrive there by helicopter at once,
tie up the policeman and deliver him to an appropriate place. The
groundless stopping of cars on Georgian roads is history. This has
resulted in an increase of tourists in Ajaria.

At least four times as many tourists will go to Borjomi next year
as this year. We will do this using budget resources, as well as the
proceeds from the agreement with the oil companies, which we reached
thanks to our principled position and despite the opposition of local
critics. Therefore, it has been proved once again that we were right
and they were wrong.

That’s all. Do you have any questions?

[Passage omitted; next question indistinct]

Private TV companies have nothing to fear

[Saakashvili] Georgia is proud to have independent television. Georgia
is the only country in the CIS where independent television does
exist. This is our main achievement. I brag about this when I am
abroad.

Georgia has returned to the world arena; Georgia is back on the
world map. CNN and Euronews have included Tbilisi in their weather
forecasts for the first time. It is true that it took a lot of effort
and asking, but they have finally done this. That is to say, they have
recognized us as part of the world and part of Europe. Our television
stations are our pride.

On the other hand, the public channel is absolutely irreplaceable. The
public TV channel is working on a weekly Moambe news bulletin in
the Abkhaz language. One day it will be in Abkhaz, the next day it
will be in Ossetian, the third day it will be in Azerbaijani, on the
fourth day it will be in Armenian and on the fifth day it will be in
Russian, as it has been [sentence as heard]. Which private channel
will do this? This is a commercially unprofitable project. Likewise,
there will be educational programmes. I want the Patriarchate to have
a programme speaking about Orthodox Christian issues. Perhaps there
should be similar programmes on other religions.

In this situation, it is wrong to write off the public channel. I do
not know exactly what issues are being debated, but I know one thing
that I heard on television. It was alleged that limitations were being
imposed on free television. No-one intends to impose restrictions on
television as long as I am president because this [free television]
is very good for me. It is thanks to you that I am sitting here and
speaking to my people. Therefore, I think that these issues will be
decided in parliament. There are smart people in parliament and they
will make the right decisions.

[Switches to Russian] Please. [Question in Russian; indistinct]

No secrets from Russia on terrorism issues

[Saakashvili, in Russian] First of all, I should say that for us
terrorist is not a general term. We know their names. The majority of
Chechen field commanders have the blood of ethnic Georgian residents
of Abkhazia on their hands. These people are not our friends. May God
save us from this sort of friend and we will manage to rid ourselves
of our enemies.

We are co-operating with the Russian Federation at all levels. Our
state security minister met the director of the FSB [Russian Federal
Security Service] and the director of the Foreign Intelligence
Service recently. We do not have any secrets from the Russian special
services when it comes to fighting terrorism. We are very open to
co-operation. We conduct joint flights over our borders. Joint patrols
of the border began on our initiative so that not a single armed man
can cross either from Georgia into Russia or from Russia into Georgia.
We, too, want to protect ourselves against them. Georgia is even more
vulnerable, even weaker, even less protected against terrorism than
Russia. All the more so, because these people are not our friends,
they are our common enemies. Each one of them is our enemy.

Therefore, I think that if the Russian special services have any
information they should help us as well. We are helping them in
all possible ways to get rid of all sorts of elements. The sooner
Russia establishes order on its territory, the more peaceful nights in
Georgia will be. This is for sure. This is what I can say. Therefore,
cooperation between us is getting better and I think that in this sense
[Russia] has not complained to us recently.

Counts on Russia’s cooperation on Abkhazia

[Question in Russian; indistinct]

[Saakashvili, in Russian] Let’s be direct. Let’s be direct and
say that whatever tricks are used, whatever passports are issued,
whatever steps are taken, Abkhazia is part of Georgia [reference to
Russian passports issued to residents of Abkhazia].

It has been part of Georgia for the past 2,000 years, is part of
Georgia and will be part of Georgia as long as Georgia exists. The
sooner we agree with our Abkhaz brothers on co-existence within a
single federal state in which they will have the broadest rights as
a constituent part of the federal state the better for everyone. We
do not recognize any artificial enclaves created by means of issuing
passports. We are ready to take into account the rights of all Russian
citizens in Georgia, but not those of artificially created enclaves. We
think there is great potential for cooperation on this issue between
Russia and Georgia. Let’s hope that it will be so.

[Switches to Georgian] Thank you very much for your attention.

[Question; indistinct]

[Saakashvili] [The chairman of the Tbilisi-based Supreme Council of
Abkhazia Temur] Mzhavia has nothing to do with it. I expressed my
support for Mzhavia at the previous meeting.

Thank you.

[Presenter] This was a live link up with the State Chancellery,
where the Georgian president held a special briefing.