MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI: GEORGIA AND ARMENIA ARE EACH OTHER’S CONTINUATION

Noyan Tapan
June 25, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 25, NOYAN TAPAN. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili
at the June 25 meeting with Yerevan State University lecturers and
students held within the framework of his official visit to Armenia
stated that Georgia and Armenia are each other’s continuation and
complement each other, and cooperation between the two countries need
to be deepened and expanded.

Besides, according to him, the Caucasus should become unified and all
conflicts should be solved peacefully, foreign forces should not be
permitted to make "manipulations" in the region.

M. Saakashvili said that large-scale reforms have been carried
out in Georgia during his tenure, as a result of which considerable
progress has been recorded in fighting corruption, crime has decreased
three-fold, two-fold reduction of taxes has had a positive influence,
the business atmosphere has been improved. In his words, Armenia has
also recorded progress in that respect.

Mentioning that many prominent Georgian Armenians, Sayat-Nova,
Sergey Parajanov, Tigran Petrosian, and others are Georgia’s pride,
M. Saakashvili said: "We do not divide Georgia into ethnic groups,
we treat all ethnic groups equally." The Georgian President assured
that the volume of investments made in Javakhk exceeds the same
volume in another territory of Georgia. He said that an important road
construction program is being implemented, which will connect Europe
with China, and that road will lay through Javakhk, and construction
of an electric power plant will involve several thousand people.

As to the recent incident of prohibiting RA NA deputy Shirak Torosian
to enter the territory of Georgia, M. Saakashvili said that there
are political figures, whose activity is neither in Armenia’s nor in
Georgia’s interests.

In response to the question of why transit of goods to Armenia is
two-fold more expensive than transit to Azerbaijan, M. Saakashvili
said that the reason is small volumes of commodity circulation, and
when their volume increases, the tariffs will fall. In response to
a question about prospects of Georgian-Russian relations he stated
that Russia should recognize Georgia’s territorial integrity.

YSU Rector Aram Simonian publicized scientific council’s decision,
according to which the Georgian President was given the title of YSU
Honorary Doctor and was awarded University Gold Medal.

The same day the Georgian President accompanied by RA Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian visited Yerevan Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex
and laid a wreath.