Civil Georgia, Georgia
July 5 2005

Saakashvili: MoD to Contribute to Social Program in Javakheti

President Saakashvili said on July 4 that the Georgian Defense
Ministry will make all its procurements of agricultural and food
products solely in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, based on
availability.

He said that this initiative is part of a state social program for
this region that will help ease the economic consequences that will
result from the withdrawal of the Russian military base from the
predominately Armenian-populated town of Akhalkalaki, in
Samtskhe-Javakheti. This base is the main source of income for many
locals in Akhalkalaki.