Welcome you all!

A few days ago I attended UN General Assembly in New-York and I want to tell you that it was a much broader-scaled UN Session than ever before. I want to tell you in several words about those events that I discussed today with the Minister of Internal Affairs Vano Merabishvili. The security problem in the buffer zones is still sharp that's why I tasked the Minister of Internal Affairs to restore the houses there. Before winter sets in about 6 000 comfortable houses must be built and adequate conditions for agricultural works must be created. We have to support the spheres of education, health and employment. Our aim is to take care of the refugees, this is the main task for the government and personally for me. After this aggression the economy of Georgia had suffered greatly. I know perfectly well how many unemployed people there are in Georgia. It is a matter of our dignity to develop economy and not to please the enemy. We are receiving aid but part of it comes late, part early, but what's more important is to create our economy ourselves. We must fight with corruption, in order to make Georgia more attractive, create more jobs, and obtain more professions. The more Georgians return to Georgia, the happier I will be. In summer when this wildered force tried to destroy us, it was very important not to be left alone. As for my trip abroad we all understand very well that if not these contacts we would not be able to meet here. After August 12 in this room and in this capital that would be our last evening. The fact that Russians wanted to occupy Georgia does not cause a doubt for any analyst. Unfortunately I want to say that the Russians have to main missions unfulfilled - they couldn't overthrown the Georgian government, which meant the end of Georgia's independence and they couldn't take control over oil pipes from Central Asia and Caspian Sea. The matters did not develop successfully for them. Today no country feels comfortable in Russia's neighborhood.

Practically Russia doesn't have a true friend in the world and in the neighborhood. Russians were really disappointed to see our people consolidated and our economy still strong. (Though we still have big problems in our economy).

The Russian economy collapsed after this fight. The mortgage prices went down considerably, I do not say anything about long-term reputation and I do not speak about inflation. There was no foreign currency crisis in Georgia, nobody panicked to take money out of the banks or buy a lot of products. Georgian economy did not collapse, and even more, the budget increased. What's essential change in our country - our political system is stable and our chain event was aired all around the world. I was in US you all know that there is an economic crisis in the world and the only foreign leader who was invited to the American TV channels was I. I am not saying that somebody likes me, but Georgia is really in the center of attention. The Georgian society was ready to meet these difficulties. I remember a couple of years ago when something was written about Georgia in the foreign newspapers it was always underlined that Georgia was a very corrupt, poor former Soviet Republic with damaged infrastructure. Now nothing like this is written. We have defeated corruption, but we have to be very attentive still. There is poverty, we have to build a hundred times more among those hopeless countries where we belonged. This was showed that our society is one of the most developed society in the world. Today Georgian policy becomes the sphere of civilized disputes.

I welcome the fact that both opposition and the majority are actively involved in the second phase of the democratic reforms. I welcome the fact that the Head of the Superior Court meets NGOs, the opposition, various political parties and leads an open conversation on various reforms, this is what I would like to encourage.

I welcome the fact that discussion based on arguments changed cursing. Most important is that everyone has an opportunity to express their views. Shouting is lost in serious debates and disputes. Among us, among you, in the Parliament, in the Government and in the People there is wisdom, which leads the society forward and we will all have to overcome difficult problems. I can not tell you that anything finished, we are about in year of 1991 where Balkan countries were - when the violation of their territorial integrity started. We are where the world was in the most difficult years of the cold war when everything was under the great risk.

Now Georgia is the main hero of a big book, we have opened only the first page of this book. If anyone thinks that the book is finished is greatly mistaken. It's upon us to finish this book with the happy-end or if it doesn't end that way we must have patience and get ready for a long-term peaceful fight. The economy must develop, our enemy must weaken, we must decide every issue. This is our long-term task. Our society must live better, must be more successful, the difficulties must be overcome. We do not expect any catastrophic complications if the world economy doesn't collapse fully. I think that it will not happen this way. And finally I was in the United States and spent most of my time in the leading TV companies. This is not most important, what most important is both candidates of American Presidency devoted ten minutes to Georgia. The only issue that they competed with and agreed with was Georgia. It was great honor for me when they supported me personally, but most important is that they supported Georgia. Its very important that they understand that this fight is their challenge and aim. Up to this moment for years running we were alone in this disproportional fight.

"Rustavi 2" - Natia Bandzeladze

"ow much does the support of the world society depend on the well carried out reforms and does there exist a real control on this reforms, and do we maintain this great support after this control.

Mikheil Saakashvili - Any reform must be controlled by the society, this is the main principle of democracy. We must have more debates to move our society forward. We have defeated corruption, police can not be bribed, not because they are afraid of their chiefs but because they are honored from the society. The Court is free of corruption. One of the Judge asked me - why are you getting rid of this system, you will never have a more devoted Judge than me. Not a single President has a more devoted Judge than a Judge that can be bribed. For that Judge it meant nothing that the society was humiliated. Now what we wish is that Judges can not be bribed and they must pass sentence depending on their dignity, this is why we are endorsing the Institute of the Jury, on introducing such a system in the Prosecutor's Office that will be under the control of the society. I consider that I appoint good people everywhere but I know I have made many mistakes. Georgian society is really democratic, I lost the January elections in Tbilisi a lot, but despite this fact everyone came out and expressed solidarity. Only the democratic society can do it. It's a fact that part of the political spectrum within the Parliament and outside it managed to sit down to the table, to create anti-crisis council. Opposition still criticizes the government, but they do not require changing of government on every step, they are criticizing us, and express their ideas. There does not exist a question like this - "if this government leaves, the next government will be a catastrophe. I do not want to hide from you that I had that feeling in January. From my point of view the alternative was disastrous, they have neither experience nor the feeling of responsibility. The State that doesn't have a democratic society is not a state of full values.

Imedi TV - Diana Trapaidze

Those people who were the members of your government today criticize you - Erosi Kitsmarishvili, Zurab Nogaideli, Nino Burjanadze. How will you respond to them.

Mikheil Saakashvili: - I did not create a clan. I said that there would be no closed circles in Georgia. I as well said that people will be evaluated depending on their results. If the society considers that someone can not perform their responsibility, they will not be owners of the seats in the government. This is our strength. When a person leaves the government he becomes angry - once I left my occupation not because I was fired, but I did it myself and never got angry. We have to get adapted to it. The government is consolidated as never before. There is opposing among the government members and the Parliament and this is a healthy approach. I don't remember such a healthy political system in Georgia. The same can be said about those people who can't find their place in the system and get angry. This is also a mark of healthy system. The worst happens when there are intrigues in the government, when the people leave the government, come out and start to make statements. Now we have created a correct system, until you are in the government and you are not corrupt, and you bring results to your country we all stand together and we do our job. Today I had an interesting meeting with David Bakradze, we spoke about the media, where there must be more debates for more transparency and the more transparency we have, the further forward we will move.

GPB - Sofia Mdinaradze

If Russia doesn't fulfill their obligation and does not withdraw their forces from Georgian territory till October 10 what threats there can appear for Georgia and what steps will be taken by Georgia and Europe. We have received this assistance, but will it be sufficient to house the refugees?

Mikheil Saakashvili: - As for IDPs, they will have warm houses till winter. This is my principle and we will bring this to the end.

As for Russia - we are not speaking about a civilized country but a bandit, occupant, aggressors. The Soviet leaders spoke of peace and brotherhood. I hope that Russia wouldn't be able to live this way, because no great aggressor lived long. They occupied other countries, but they spoke about good things. Russians are speaking about armament, about attacking neighboring countries. Russia is very "popular" because it does what it says. It said that it would smash Georgia and it did. But Georgia was not smashed. Until we are occupied, this fight is not finished. We will win only when they go back in the direction that they came into the Georgian territory. Everything else is the matter of time, techniques, consolidation, successful development and peaceful integration. He said that Russian atomic ships would go to Venezuela, maybe they will go, but not all of them will reach the place of destination.

Russia will act as much as there will be the influence from the international community. I did everything to restore the friendship with Russia, but without results. They were expecting the moment when they would have enough money from oil and would keep their energy careers blackmailed. There would be the last months of the present US Administration. They first wished to destroy Georgia internally, they couldn't manage it and then they started their aggression. They received an anti-result, which their faces and you can read no satisfaction there. But this is not the object of our thinking. It is essentially important for us to be satisfied, successful and to create a democratic and economic development model. This is our task.

Thank you very much for coming, until we meet again!

Communications Office
of the President of Georgia