Welcome!

First of all I welcome Georgia's new Prime Minister, renewed cabinet of ministers and our two new ministers.

I would like to wish you all the success and express hope that this extremely important, comprehensive, well targeted, realistic program developed with great professionalism will become a solid basis for the development of Georgia's economy.

You know that we have requested our people for a renewed democratic mandate. We have requested our electorate to let us on January 5 to continue governing the country with stronger democratic support, with active participation of our electorate in order our country could overcome all the existing obstacles and we could achieve every goal we have been talking about not once.

You know that tomorrow we start the election campaign. The Parliament Speaker will assume responsibilities for 40 days. I will be engaged in the presidential election campaign.

Today I have decided to give instructions to the cabinet of ministers regarding the transitional period. This is a delicate period for Georgia. We must ensure Georgia's safety, public order, avoid every possible provocation and every complication. I am absolutely sure that there will be attempts of these but our security structures are fully mobilized to prevent this and not to allow posing any kind of problem to our citizens in respect of public order.

We must be responsive to regional problems. No one must be hungry or cold this winter, we must not allow this. This is my task and, as never before, it is pressing.

For this purpose we must provide increased pensions. We must start a special social program for vulnerable people. We must make every effort - starting from the fire wood supply program and ending with the vouchers supply program. Every effort must also be directed towards energy security issue. I talked about this with the President of Azerbaijan in order to ensure an uninterrupted supply this coming winter.

Amendments have been introduced to the budget. We must submit this to the parliament and we must solve all these problems, maintain and improve the situation. Our main task is to hold democratic elections. We not only want a new mandate but the mandate that would reinforce country's international positions, each of us prospects for Georgia's unification and prosperous future. Therefore, we will give every political party and political force a chance to run for elections in a very democratic environment. The Georgian people should decide themselves whom they give a chance and whom they give their support.

We should also provide freedom of all media outlets under the condition that the laws will be observed and violent actions will be excluded.

Every measure should be undertaken to protect democracy against anti-democratic forces in a democratic environment. The Georgian government has already undertaken steps in this direction. And my government plans to undertake very serious steps in this regard and to adhere to a very firm position.

At the same time we cooperate with every international organization. We have invited OSCE and EU observers. Our friends helped us a lot.

Yesterday the Presidents of Poland and Lithuania were visiting Georgia. The day before yesterday we signed a contract of the century on building a railway line.

In one word, this period is full of great challenges not only for the country but for every citizen and every Georgian family. But Georgia, as usually, will counter them vigorously and firmly. I am sure that we will show to the entire word our calmness. And we will also demonstrate that Georgia has the government on every level capable to control the situation and continue the development even in the electoral, the most heated, period.

I would like to tell you that our work will be specially evaluated. We will be having many other changes ahead. We will have to undertake other measures to reinforce the country's development - this is the society's demand.

That's why I, the new Prime Minister and each of us will closely observe the activities of not only each of you and local government but the activities of every administrative unit. When it comes to government-public relations we must be gentle, mobilized and effective in order not to make Georgia's enemies laugh and to pass a historic exam successfully. Lado Gurgenidze has a full mandate to modify the decisions during the next 40 days.

Life should continue in its due course, under the conditions of a special mobilization.

These 40 days are very important. I believe that everything will be well. Everyone should do their work and be vigilant.

As successful we have been till now, as successfully we will end this election campaign and January 5 will enter the history as a beginning of a great new stage.

Thank you!

Press Office
of the President of Georgia