The visit of the President of Georgia to the United States has begun. Mikheil Saakashvili participated in the working of Summit Basecamp, where he was specially invited. The Head of State addressed the participants of the forum, which 650 leaders, including the world’s leading investors and businessmen are attending. Mikheil Saakashvili talked about the situation before the Rose Revolution, reforms implemented after 2004, successes achieved, and Georgia’s current potential.

“I am glad to be here, among very interesting people. I was 35 years old when I was elected to the Presidency of Georgia. It was hard to call Georgia a country back then. Georgia has a great history; it is an ancient Christian country, homeland of vine and ancient civilization, but it’s a fact that the situation was very tough when we came to power. 80% of the population did not have electricity;  children had to study in the toughest conditions in schools, there was no heating, corruption ruled the country, and the officials were buying their posts. All of this took a toll on the people of low means. When we assumed power we found out that the treasury was empty. There was not even enough money to pay for salaries. We knew that we did not have time and we had to act very fast. “– stated the President of Georgia.

Mikheil Saakashvili also noted that the young team of reformers was able to handle corruption and other problems through their relentless efforts. Everything is different now according to him – Georgia has a huge potential, which has to be fully explored.

The Head of State also answered several questions. The Russian-Georgian relations, the prospects of our country, and the experience of Georgia gained in recent years were the topics of interest for the participants of the summit.

The summit which is taking place in California will end on January 30.

Mikheil Saakashvili is visiting the United States as a result of a special invitation by Barack Obama. The Presidents of Georgia and the United States will meet at the Oval Office on January 30.