Georgian president outlines three-stage development strategy

Imedi TV, Tbilisi
9 Sep 05

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has said that his government is
following a “three-stage programme” of the country’s development. At
his first news conference after the summer holiday season, broadcast
by Imedi TV and other Georgian networks, Saakashvili said that the
first stage of the programme focused on reforming the “state
apparatus”. The purpose of the second stage is to implement major
infrastructure and energy projects. The third stage will create more
jobs and lead to economic prosperity, Saakashvili said. All three
stages of the plan serve the “ultimate” goal of “uniting Georgia”, he
noted.

Answering a question about the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia, Saakashvili said that finding a “new form of relations with
Russia” was crucial to resolve the conflicts. He also stressed that
“for the first time in many years”, the United States had “expressed
its readiness to get directly involved in the settlement of conflicts
in Georgia”. Saakashvili also commented on the situation in Ukraine
and the freedom of press in Georgia. The following is an excerpt from
the live broadcast by Imedi TV on 9 September; subheadings have been
inserted editorially:

Three-stage programme

[Presenter] In a few minutes, the Georgian president will hold a news
conference in the State Chancellery for Georgian and foreign
journalists. Now we will go live to the State Chancellery.

[Saakashvili] Hello everyone. I am very glad to see your relaxed
faces. I hope you had good holidays over the summer. I have not held a
news conference for a few months and I think you have questions. I
also want to review recent developments.

Probably all of you travelled around Georgia in the summer and noticed
many changes happening in our country. If you visited the Black Sea
coast and went there by car, you could not fail to notice that for the
first time in the last 15 years there were no potholes on the road
from Tbilisi to the coast. The road has been repaired. If you
travelled by train, you could see a new, comfortable Ukrainian train
on which my family and I travelled, too. If you visited Borjomi, you
could see the most beautiful and modern park in the former Soviet
Union, although it still needs some improvements. [Passage omitted:
says the number of tourists at Georgian resorts this summer reached
the level of the late 1980s, says the national university entrance
tests were a great achievement]

I would like to say that we are following a plan. We should understand
that we are not doing anything in a chaotic way. From the very first
day we came to power, we had a plan of what to do. The first stage was
reforming the state apparatus. Nothing could be changed in this
country without a state apparatus. We started our purge from the
chancellery, police, prosecutor’s office, tax department, and our
armed forces have been created from scratch. Reforming the state
apparatus was the first stage, there could be no changes without
that. We spent the first year on the new patrol [police] force, new
ministries, a new tax service which has resulted in a manifold
increase in the collection of taxes, so now we have some money to
spend.

The second stage of our development, which started this year, in the
spring, is about creating infrastructure in Georgia, roads and energy
facilities.

[Passage omitted: talks about road construction projects in various
parts of Georgia, repair works on hydropower plants and other energy
projects]

When we finish this second stage, although this is a permanent
process, because the new highways will need repairs, and electricity
consumption will be constantly rising, but as soon we have these two
stable factors against the background of very low corruption, our main
task will be economic development in general and creation of
jobs. This is the third stage of our reforms. This is a three-stage
programme. [Passage omitted: explains that new jobs cannot be created
without stable energy supplies] If our business sector is also active,
we will be able to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs through
cooperation between the state and the business community. [Passage
omitted: repetition]

These three stages will enable us to achieve our main goal, the
unification of Georgia. It will be possible only if we pass these
three stages in a correct and timely manner. [Passage omitted: says
that state investments in health care, the pension system and sports
facilities will continue, stresses the importance of integration of
the ethnic Armenian-populated Javakheti region] A few days ago the
Gonio firing range was handed over to us [by Russia]. It went almost
unnoticed. You may remember that when I first raised this issue in
Batumi a year ago, many people in one of our neighbouring countries
described my statement as an act of provocation. They said it was
impossible and it would never happen. So, less than a year has passed
since then, and the Georgian flag is already there. We have recovered
several hundred hectares of excellent beaches. We have restored
Georgia’s sovereignty over this land. Now we are building a new
international airport nearby, in Batumi, and we are building another
international airport in Tbilisi.

This is what I wanted to say. Now I am ready to answer your hostile
questions [smiles].

Ukraine

[Question] Irma Gegechkori, Imedi TV. Will the current government
crisis in Ukraine affect Georgian-Ukrainian relations? Have you spoken
to President Viktor Yushchenko on the phone?

[Saakashvili] Yushchenko is my friend. In general, the situation in
Ukraine will of course affect the situation in Georgia because
Georgia’s revolution and its development after the revolution would
have been impossible without Ukraine’s success. Ukraine is helping us
politically. It is very important. You know that we have made a
historic decision to create a new coalition of democratic
states. Georgia and Ukraine have now been joined by Lithuania. We are
working with other countries. Poland is actively involved too. By
taking these steps, Georgia will obtain international guarantees to
protect the country’s integrity, our freedom and development
prospects.

We have close economic relations and we cooperate in many other,
sensitive spheres too. Therefore, Ukraine’s success is our success.
Ukraine’s failure would negatively affect Georgia. I believe that
Viktor Yushchenko’s decision was very brave. I have excellent
relations with [former Prime Minister] Yuliya Tymoshenko as well, but
Viktor Yushchenko is the main player there. His courageous decision
cannot but bring about good results. He said that he was going to
consolidate the government as a united team. We do not have this
problem in Georgia. Our government has always been united. It seems
that there were certain problems in Ukraine, as the president himself
said. I cannot say more.

I just want to say that in my opinion Ukraine has enormous
potential. Their success is absolutely crucial for us.

I think that Ukraine has a great future. For us, it is so important
what is happening there, their revolution was so important, our
friendship is so important that sometimes I find it hard to believe
that this is really happening.

God save us from something going wrong there. I am an optimist because
I know these people. I know Viktor Yushchenko. He has great
potential. He is very competent and principled man. I also know that
he and I are stuck in the throats of many people, so to speak, you can
see it every day, but they will not be able to harm us. Everything
will be all right.

Separatist conflicts, Russia’s role, possible US involvement

[Question] Malkhaz Oniani, Public TV. According to the Georgian
authorities, the process of militarization in Abkhazia and the
Tskhinvali region [South Ossetia] has become more active. If this is
true, is there any threat of destabilization? Is it possible that
Georgia may reject the current peacekeeping format? Are you going to
propose a new peacekeeping format at the UN General Assembly in New
York?

[Saakashvili] Of course we are closely watching developments in
Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. I have to say that the ongoing
process of militarization there, which, let’s say things as they are,
Russia is facilitating, and the process of handing over new arms is a
very unfortunate fact. I don’t think this is in Russia’s
interests. This is a response to Georgia’s strengthening and
development in general.

I think that we should find a new form of relations with Russia. Among
other things, I think that in connection with the conflict in South
Ossetia [changes tack] There is no Ossetian problem in Georgia. There
is a problem in Georgian-Russian relations with respect to certain
territories. I have repeatedly said that Russia is a great country
with lots of territories, but its borders certainly do not lie on the
Inguri river or the Ergneti market. Russia too knows this very
well. We have to clarify our relations with respect to these
territories. I am certain that we can organize a high-level
international conference on South Ossetia with the participation of
the Americans. For the first time in many years, the Americans have
expressed their readiness to get directly involved in the settlement
of conflicts in Georgia. We are ready to take part in the high-level
conference, together with the Americans, the OSCE and the Russians,
which will finally resolve the issue of a peaceful settlement in this
region. This will be the first stage.

The main goal of my life is Abkhazia. I am not going to slow down, we
are working on this very actively, too. [Passage omitted: says that
time is on Georgia’s side and that Ajaria should become an example for
Abkhazia, recalls how Georgian police managed to arrest “terrorist
suspects” in South Ossetia]

We are no longer afraid. We know it and they know too that we are able
to respond to any act of provocation. However, we will do everything
we can to avoid armed confrontation. Unfortunately, while Georgia and
our allies in Washington and elsewhere are actively working on this,
the other side is not yet working on this issue. I raised this issue
in my conversation with [Russian] President Putin. Now we are waiting
for a more pragmatic answer from them.

These territories cannot be kept outside Georgia’s sovereignty, that
is not achievable. Any attempts to draw parallels with other countries
will fail.

These territories are parts of Georgia, they were parts of Georgia and
they are parts of Georgia today in the eyes of the whole world, and
they will always be. So, the sooner these problems are resolved, the
better for everyone. On the other hand, the stronger we are, the
sooner these problems will be resolved. Time is on our side. We are in
a hurry, I am in a hurry. As you know, I am not a very patient man,
but it turns out that my team-mates and myself, you and our public
have a lot more patience than others thought. It is not easy to drag
us into any kind of provocation. So, we are growing, but, on the other
hand, everything has an end.

A few days ago I visited [the village of] Anaklia [in Zugdidi
District]. I was simply interested to see the excellent beach there. I
travelled on a motor boat from Kobuleti and then some fishermen helped
us. I was there with one of my bodyguards. The population received us
very well. For the first time this year, the number of people visiting
Anaklia doubled or tripled, just like in Ajaria, although conditions
in Anaklia are worse. There is a post of the Russian peacekeeping
force there, near the family which I was visiting, in the centre of
Anaklia, in a former sanatorium. I did not notify anyone in
advance. So, when these soldiers saw that we were there, they were put
on alert and assumed combat positions. It was quite funny to look at
them, you know, but this is absurd. This is Georgian territory, but
when the Georgian president arrives, troops are put on alert. You can
see what kind of situation we have inherited.

Therefore, we, together with Russia, should resolve this problem and
get out of this embarrassing and inexplicable situation. We want to
resolve everything peacefully, but, as you know, every issue in
history has its dialectic and logic. Just as we resolved the issue of
the pullout of the Russian bases, we will resolve all other
controversial issues between Georgia and Russia.

These issues were not created by the current Russian leadership or by
us.

However, these problems have become deeper as a response to Georgia’s
strengthening.

But these problems will be resolved. [Passage omitted: repetition] I
repeat, for the first time, the Americans have said that they will get
directly involved in the peace process. This has been published in the
foreign press. Our partners in Russia know this too. So, we all should
be working together on this issue. The status quo cannot be
maintained. Everything should be resolved peacefully and we will
prevent acts of provocation, but the status quo cannot be
maintained. If someone thinks that they can keep us under their feet
as long as these problems are unresolved, they are very
wrong. Everyone with common sense understands this.

[Passage omitted: answering the next question, Saakashvili says that
the increase in fuel prices is a major concern not only for Georgia
but also for the whole world]

Media freedom

[Question] Rusiko Machaidze, Rezonansi newspaper. Mr President, you
have described Georgia’s achievements over the past year, but in
recent months pressure on the freedom of expression has emerged as the
main problem. What can you say about that?

[Saakashvili, smiles] I want to tell you that I am proud of the
freedom of the press in Georgia. Moreover, democracy is the best
system generally, for the whole world, and especially for our country
because our people are very smart. Why is democracy the best system?
Because smart and gifted people can realize their abilities well while
fools can express their foolishness very well too. This is an ideal
situation. Why should one keep fools from expressing their
foolishness? [Passage omitted: says that the authorities will only
benefit if fools are allowed to reveal their stupidity]

By the way, I want to tell you a story I heard from a journalist. What
is the difference between some Russian TV channels and your [Georgian]
channels?

When a person in a Russian province watches TV, he thinks: Well, I’m
not doing particularly well, I don’t feel well, roads are not being
repaired around here and the economy is not developing, but at least
the country as a whole is doing well, so I am happy. When our people
watch Georgian channels, they think: Well, roads have been repaired,
my pension or salary is paid on time and increasing, my children’s
school has been refurbished, and I enjoyed good holidays this year,
but the situation in the country seems so awful. That’s the difference
[laughing]. You know that this is true. This is an ordinary
situation. In a democracy the press is always hunting for negative
stories.

[Passage omitted: recalls his meeting with a Tbilisi pensioner,
general comments on the importance of free media for democracy;
answering a “BBC question” from unidentified journalist – “who runs
your world?” – Saakashvili says that his fate is in the hands of the
Georgian people]