Welcome everyone!

I would like to greet the president of Poland and our other guests from Poland, in particular the large group of Polish journalists!

I want to point out that there is absolute mutual understanding in our bilateral relations; we have identical views on all issues and there are absolutely no problems between us.

Poland and Georgia have historic, cultural and emotional relations.

Georgia is at a very interesting stage in its development.

Three or four years ago we were an abortive state. The government at that time was unable to provide electricity to 80 per cent of the population during winter.

In the period after independence not one major infrastructure project was carried out in Georgia. But now, according to the World Bank rating for 2006, Georgia has been named the world's number one country in terms of economic reforms. According to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, we are one of the three countries with the least corrupt economies. And World Bank statistics show that we are the number one country in Eurasia in terms of fighting corruption.

As for the business climate, Georgia has moved up in the ratings from 135th place worldwide to 35th. We hope that this rating will continue to rise. We are expecting some two billion dollars in foreign investment this year, which is a quite high indicator for a country as small as ours.

This year Georgia will be moved from the category of poor countries to the category of middle-income countries. I believe this is an important achievement. Last year alone many more roads, hospitals and schools were built in Georgia than were built in the past 20 years.

Georgia is an interesting and important partner for all countries. Last year a huge economic embargo was declared against our country. They imposed an embargo on air and land traffic, as well as on postal services. But nevertheless, Georgia managed to achieve 10 per cent economic growth. As long as no unforeseen crisis happens this year, we can say with confidence that Georgia will sustain solid double digit economic growth. In the first three months of this year our economic growth was 12-13 per cent. This indicator is sure to rise in the second half of this year.

Of course, Georgia still has problems. All manner of pressure is being put on our country. They closed off their markets to us, organized acts of military provocation, deported our citizens en masse, quadrupled the price of natural gas and still, Georgia has passed every test and continues to develop and go forward.

We are grateful to Poland for supporting Georgia's integration with NATO.

We support the Polish president's initiative to hold a summit on energy issues in Poland. We are eagerly observing Poland as if fights for those values which we are all fighting for - equality and freedom.

Of the European countries, Poland is one of the most important guiding lights for us in terms of instilling those values which we ourselves support.

That is why the Polish president's visit is of very great importance to us.

Poland is a key ally of Georgia, Ukraine and many other countries of this region. We hope that our relations will continue to deepen; I also hope that human ties between us will continue to develop. We hope that direct flights will be operated between Georgia and Poland so that many more Polish tourists can come to visit. Georgia remains an attractive tourist destination and from the standpoint of infrastructure it has become a much more interesting country.

I know that to this day songs about Tbilisi and Batumi are sung in Poland. Now it is time to move from song to reality.

There are emotional ties between our countries - we constantly feel this. For example, according to an internet poll asking who should win the Eurovision competition, Georgia's Sopo Khalvashi enjoys great support in Poland. This means a lot to us. Some Poles have not even heard a single song of hers, but when they vote for her they vote for Georgia.

We hope that such attitudes will continue to prevail in the future.

And finally, I would like to say that the Polish president and I will unveil a memorial to those heroic Georgian officers who fought for Poland at the Museum of the Siege of Warsaw. Dozens of Georgian officers gave their lives for Poland's independence and freedom. I am proud of these people! They were generals who had first fought in Georgia and managed to recover part of Georgia's lost territory. Then they moved to Poland and fought together with Marshall Pilsudski for Poland's independence and later fought in World War II against the Nazis.

This is a very important tie that binds our two countries. We will unveil the memorial and also mark 86 years of diplomatic relations between Georgia and Poland.

This is a very important date. Georgia has a very long and intense history of diplomatic relations with Poland.

Once again, welcome Mr President!

Press Office
of the President of Georgia