The President of Georgia met with the top students of Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University and spoke to them about the current projects, new initiatives, and reforms. First of all Mikheil Saakashvili touched on the programs, which are aimed at easing lives of students and making their conditions better. According to him, the state is doing everything for the students to have better conditions, more motivation and more opportunities. At the end of May every student will receive a Georgian student card giving them discounts on municipal transports, the railway and at trade centers. The “Summer Job” program will also become operational soon, employing students and providing 500 GEL salaries. Mikheil Saakashvili focused attention on one more change, which will give students an opportunity to take better advantage of the state grants. The students, who do not earn enough points on national college examinations, will have a chance to earn grants as a result of studying well and passing special grant exams later.

Another new initiative of the President envisions providing health insurance for students. As he noted, beginning in September, almost half of the population of Georgia will be insured – children up to age of 5 and the elderly. Parallel to this project, the next category of the insured will be students, so that the newly opened, ultramodern medical facilities become affordable for them. According to Mikheil Saakashvili, in the end, nobody should stay uninsured in Georgia.

The Head of State stressed that the government aims at being able to provide the highest quality education as well as professional and highly qualified personnel. As he noted, Batumi will soon become a University town. According to the President of Georgia, opening of the technological university, in September, and strengthening the Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University will assist in this process. The President also mentioned that the state will allocate additional funds in order for students to be able to continue studying abroad.

Mikheil Saakashvili also focused attention on infrastructural projects while meeting with the students. He noted that, many things are being done in Georgia and the rehabilitation process is going on in all regions. According to him, Georgians are adopting new technologies well and they have already gained some experience in this sense. The fact that foreign investors are taking Georgian engineers and specialists to work in other countries is also a proof of this. According to the statement of the Head of State, nothing will interfere with the country’s integration in NATO and the EU after the rehabilitation process has been completed.

Mikheil Saakashvili also spoke about the topics of overcoming poverty and employment as well as the development of tourist infrastructure. As the President stated, Batumi should become a big tourist center as well as the most developed tourist zone across the Black Sea, which in turn is one of the main ways of handling the problem. Georgia must become able to enter the European family by developing tourism, just like Greece did. According to the President, as many foreigners as possible should become familiar with our values, reforms, and ongoing projects so that Georgia will become famous around the world in this direction as well.

The Head of State spoke in detail about the occurrences that took place in Adjara 8 years ago. According to him, in that time period Adjara was almost separated from the Georgia’s constitutional space and was under the control of Aslan Abashidze and his Russian friends. However, Mikheil Saakashvili stated that the sacrifice of the Adjarian people, their huge desire of freedom, and their heroic bravery made a miracle happen on May 6, 2004 and snatched Adjara away from Russian hands. According to the President, just like in Adjara, Georgia will restore justice and return the occupied territories.