My dear people of Sighnaghi! Representatives of various districts in Kakheti, dear fellow citizens! I want to welcome you here, where we are celebrating the completion of the first stage of reconstruction works in Sighnaghi. This is a very important moment for me.

You are aware that there is a programme entitled "Gift from the President", which takes children to visit various fun places. That which is happening in Sighnaghi is a gift to Georgia's future. It is a gift from each of the people who have worked on this project. Some 2,200 specialists have been working together on this for several months and continue to do so. There has not been such a construction boom in Georgia for many decades. The thousands of people who have laboured here are continuing their work in various cities.

There is a lot that needs to be restored, as Georgia was effectively destroyed in previous years. We are all emerging from the darkness. Parts of our country were ravaged by war while others simply fell apart on their own. This is why Sighnaghi is a very important symbol of Georgia's rebuilding.

In 2004 I went to Berlin, where famous surgeon Aleksi Meskhishvili gave me a book by an English researcher. The book was illustrated and featured photographs of Sighnaghi at the turn of the century. That is when I came up with the idea to restore this town. Those photos inspired me to look at this most beautiful town in a new light.

The restoration process has been headed up by Georgia's prosecutor-general, Zurab Adeishvili. I would like to tell the people who criticize the Prosecutor's Office and its head that Adeishvili that truly deserves thanks for what he is doing for Kakheti - who knows, maybe they will erect a monument to him one day. I also want to thank all the construction workers, engineers and architects who have been working on this project. The best Georgian architects have been working here. It pleases me greatly that we have such resources.

But we have only done one fifth of what needs to be done. A museum of Christian history will be built here. This is the place which houses the remains of Georgia's holiest saint - St Nino. This is a most holy place for Georgians, but until now it had been left unattended. When a country is getting back on its feet after years of hardship the first thing it does is to start thinking about reviving its holy places.

Sighnaghi will become a cultural centre that will attract tourists like a magnet. Even during the construction works countless foreign tourists are coming and taking pictures. This process will continue and 10,000 times more people will come. We must take pride in our country together. I have seen all of Europe and many other countries of the world. There are practically no other places like this in the world.

A European friend said to me recently: You see these amazing things everyday, so it's ordinary for you, but when we come and visit we are truly awestruck.

You cannot imagine how important this is to the rest of the civilized world. We are spoiled with our country's intangible beauty, but we cannot see it in perspective. I want this feeling of pride that we have us to grow stronger and firmer.

I want people here to be rich. You can see how prices have risen on everything, including the price of your land. This is a normal process and we should welcome it. It has become possible for private businesses to begin building hotels in Georgia. I want Georgian couples to get married here, in this holy place, and spend their honeymoon here.

I want people to come here on holiday, for business or for leisure and behold this beauty here in the heart of Kakheti.

The revival process continues. Repair works on all roads leading to Georgia's main resorts were completed this year. Even the roads to the most remote places have been completed. We are building roads and installing water and lighting systems and we are restoring our historic monuments everywhere. We will restore these unique monuments.

Next year there won't be a single resort which we won't be able to reach by a new road; there won't be a single historical monument without a modern road and tourist services. I am very happy that the number of excursions to this region has increased. Soon hundreds of thousands of tourists will rediscover this country. I want to congratulate you all on this day and wish you all victory. Great victories lie ahead for Sighnaghi.

I want to thank the businessmen, construction workers, architects and other specialists who have worked so hard to make this dream a reality. I declare that from this day we will work at a new tempo and continue the revival process.

We began this revival process a few years ago. At that time I declared that the revival process was beginning and that it would not stop for even a minute as long as I am president. I am fulfilling my promise to you. We will all fulfil this promise to our future generations.

God bless Sighnaghi, God bless Kakheti, God bless Georgia!

press Office
of the President of Georgia