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11/17/2007
President Saakashvili visits Kakheti

On November 17 President Mikheil Saakashili visited Sagarajo district of the Kakheti region to meet winemakers and winegrowers and to discuss existing problems and challenges. The President was accompanied by the nominee for Prime Minister, Lado Gurgenidze, who promised the winegrowers his assistance. President Saakashvili thanked peasants for hard work and for successful finalization of this year's grape harvest. The president also discussed the latest developments in Georgia stressing that the major effort should be directed at building, developing and advancing the country. The president promised the winegrowers and winemakers the government's assistance.

"Kakhetian peasants know best what does it mean to protect your homeland and not to make your enemy laugh," the president said.

Mikheil Saakashvili also touched upon a TV scene about a winegrower cutting down his vines in Kakheti covered by Imedi TV. He also emphasized that various forces had been trying to set the Kakhetian peasants against the government. As he said mass media had been mobilized to show how the Kakhetians were cutting down vines, however, the president added, that as one of his friends in Gurjaani explained to him vine can't be rooted out by hand, a bulldozer is needed for that.

"The TV scenarios were faked and staged and did not say anything. Vine is rooted out other ways, but if you want to make your mustached patron happy you can stage the show," the President said.

According to the President, this year Georgia, for the first time, processed more vine than it had been processing before the Russian embargo was imposed. "This is a great breakthrough, that means that we have great prospects," he said.

To support the Georgian agriculture sector the government, according to president Saakashvili, will purchase 1000 new tractors. As he said the first 350 tractors will be purchased this December. Nowadays there are over 3000 tractors in Georgia, however the president deems that it is not enough and totally over 7000 tractors are needed to meet the demand of the country. According to the President, Georgia's agriculture sector has a huge potential and the Georgian produce can easily compete to that of any other countries' at the world market. Besides this the President said that over 1 million GEL will be allotted to purchase seedlings of those vine species that are demanded on the market. The seedlings will be distributed to the peasants.

The President also touched upon this year's expected big citrus harvest, stressing that because of a poor harvest in Turkey this year, Georgia has a chance to fill the niche of the Turkish citrus on the world market.

The president intruded to the peasants and winemakers in Sagarajo the nominee for Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze. As the President said, he initially introduced the nominee for Prime Minister to the winegrowers and agriculture people because, as the President said, from now on Lado Gurgenidze will replace Zurab Noghaideli.

"Zurab Noghaideli was sick. Regardless of this he put everything aside, worked hard on this year's harvest and for this purpose opened a special headquarters. Minister of Agriculture of Georgia followed his example. We considered that a new blood, a new energy, a new person was required that would have a vision and could lead the country to bigger success," President Saakashvili said stressing that Lado Gurgenidze was selected for this position just because he was one of the successful businessmen who could achieve success without the help of a "patron". According to the President Vladimer Gurgenidze will also remain Prime Minister after the elections because he has designed a concrete program of how to develop Georgia's economy and how to advance the country.

The nominee for Prime Minister, Lado Gurgenidze, talked to the Kakhetian winegrowers and winemakers in Sagarejo about how popular Georgian wines are in the world. As Mr. Gurgenidze said, he is half Kakhetian and his mother comes from Gurjaani. He claimed that he has certain experience in winegrowing and is very well aware of how much work it requires.

"Georgian wines have great perspective in the world. One of the wine companies' wines are being sold in the Ukraine in a much bigger quantity than in Georgia. This means how popular the Georgian wines are," Mr. Gurgenidze said, emphasizing that Georgian wines are sold in the worlds 18 countries whose number will significantly increase in the future as a result of government's efforts.

Today the President also discussed the necessity of vine insurance stressing that a peasant must not be depended on weather conditions: "A certain risk does exist but this risk can be definitely foreseen. Peasants, the government and private insurance companies should share in this risk," the President said, instructing the nominee for Prime Minister to develop the insurance market so that vine yards can be massively insured against weather conditions. The president considers that to avoid the import of falsified vineyard chemicals, a strict control has to be imposed on the quality of chemicals, because as a result of falsified chemicals winegrowers incur great losses. The President said that in spring the government will purchase high quality vineyard chemicals that will bee distributed to the winegrowers.

"Importing falsified chemicals is a big crime and those who to this must face criminal charges," considers the president.

Mikheil Saakashvili also touched upon the latest developments in Georgia stressing that during that days Georgia faced a major tradeoff - either to continue moving towards future, or going back to early 90s. Georgia has no way back.

"We went through a horrible period. I remember very well blacked out Kakhati and how people were robbed in streets. People who want to drag us into the past are the ones who had been feeling themselves well at that time. But we know that we can't retreat," the President said.

According to him the government made all those steps that any country's government would have made to protect order.

"We have a responsibility to protect our people. We did not call on them to set up tents, hold a rally and tear away from their work [...] everyone should do their work. People are doing their work and the government must do everything to spare them the consequences," the President said.

According to the President an imitation of great disturbance was created on November 7 in the center of Tbilisi and if the government did not take timely actions the country would have been thrown into abyss.

"They couldn't stir destabilization inside and now they are trying to do so from outside. They are trying to show that there is a disorder in Georgia and that no one should buy its wine and should not invest in it," the President said.

As the President said, Georgia should respond to every provocation with calmness and due diligence to work. According to him, Georgia will show to the world that it is a dignified state that no one will touch. But still, if anyone dares to encroach on it will get a due response

President Saakashvili also discussed the issue of bugging stating that he himself would guarantee that no one will willfully meddle with the private life of the citizens of Georgia, although emphasizing that only those people will be bugged who are reporting to the Georgia's enemies on the disturbances in Georgia.

"With full confidence I claim that I give a guarantee that no one will ever meddle in people's private life and will ever impose control. We are ready to invite a committee composed of Georgian people to show how this is being done. But if anyone wishes to sell and destroy Georgia and commit crime, should not get upset, if the government will defend itself and would inform people about this. They think that they are evil themselves and we are kind. They think that a kind person will not be able to allow himself what an evil person can. The strength of evil lies exactly in it. You are mistaken! Proceeding from the laws of a democratic country we will do everything to protect Georgia," the President said.

After Sagaradjo President Saakashvili visited Kvareli, where he attended the events dedicated to the 170-year anniversary of Ilia Chavchavadze. The president opened a renovated museum of Ilia Chavchavadze and attended a performance staged by Davit Doiashvili, afterwards he addressed the pubic from the concert floor.

Specifically, he claimed that he addresses the public from Kakheti from the yard of Ilia Chavchavadze's ancestral church, for the first time after the state of emergency is lifted. "In your eyes I would like to see a flicker of trust in our future, unity, strength and future victory," addressed the President with to the people gathered.

He said that nothing bothered the previous government except its private interests. According to the President, the country did not have a state apparatus, it did not take care of the development of infrastructure, the education system was being destroyed and there was a rampant corruption and bribery.

"We and you, in accordance with what Ilia [Chavchavadze] said, started creating the thing that Ilia did not have. Ilia had wisdom, he had faith that this would happen, but at that time we did not have the main thing - the Georgian state," the President said.

As he said the class of betrayers is eternal and they have the same faces as they had during the time of Davit Aghmashenebeli, Erekle II and Ilia Chavchavadze.

"In Georgia evil has its own name and we know everything about this evil. And I want to tell this evil: will you spend billion dollars? You will fail. Will you try to buy the Georgian people? You will fail. Because you do not understand one thing: this is the Georgian people who have adequate reaction to similar activities and people," Saakashvili said stressing that every destroying force will be confronted by an opposite force.

According to President Saakashvili today, as never before, we are close to returning the time of Davit Aghmashebeli, the time of our unity.

"As Ilia Chachavadze put it: there are people who are constantly crying about the past and lack hope, and there are people who see better future in the present time," the President said.



Communications Office
of the President of Georgia




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