The President of Georgia opened the Aragova Mountain Ski School in the Akhaltsikhe region. Mikheil Saakashvili met with skiers and gave them presents. The students of the ski school received several dozen full ski equipment packages from the Head of State. The construction of the Aragova Mountain Ski School began with the initiative of the President and ended in the shortest amount of time. 160 children have already expressed desire to study and train at the school. As Mikheil Saakashvili noted, aside from Akhaltsikhe and Ninotsminda, the school will serve up to 10 villages in the surrounding area.

“Building the road was the most important thing for this place. We could not talk about anything without having a road. In the past, travelers needed 6 hours to reach this place, but now a maximum of 2 hours are needed to come here during any time of the year if the new road is cleared. Building this school was the second stage so we could train the local workers appropriately. These children will grow up and become coaches and tourist guides. This year we are already installing wind indicators and beginning the construction of a large ski resort. The best mountain is located 3 kilometers from here. This is an incredibly beautiful place. Bakuriani is located over a mountain range and a beautiful valley on the other side, which is close to Tbilisi. This will help us employ a lot of people. Many have already been employed, but when we started talking about new initiatives and plans a lot of interested parties appeared. Several of them expressed a desire to organize hotels, cafes…this means that people will be employed and will have a chance to sell all of their production…a time when a lot of things will follow the development of the region. This God-forsaken part of Javakheti that is very beautiful will turn into one of the most important pearls and people will get to know it as well. Additionally, Georgian language teachers, young people, have arrived here from all parts of Georgia to teach the local people the state language. More than anything else, learning the Georgian language is valuable. This is very important for the development of tourism. Tbilisians will start coming here on weekends and skiing. The locals will use their Georgian language skills when the Tbilisians arrive here. This basically helps intensive integration and the advancement of important political problems” – stated Mikheil Saakashvili.

The 250 meter well-accommodated ski area is equipped with sliding ropeway and fully complies with international standards, which will give an opportunity for students to prepare for any international level competition. The complex will also have a base, which will give skiers an opportunity to stay on site over night during the training and sports events.

Mikheil Saakashvili also met with the local population and spoke with them about the plans which the government is planning to implement in the Akhaltsikhe region. Mikheil Saakashvili also thanked the local residents, who worked on the construction of the ski track without salaries, using their own technology. According to Mikheil Saakashvili, everything that is being done in the country is the merit of such enthusiasts.