The President of Georgia met French Minister of Cooperationin Batumi today and awarded him with Saint George's Order of Victory. Henri de Raincourt received this order for his share in the development of the relations of the two countries and for his special support towards Georgia. Several projects were fulfilled with his own assistance, among them is the recently opened medical center in Gurjaani. 

The President of Georgia MikheilSaakashvili:

It is great honor for me to host you in Georgia. Georgia is your second motherland and you have come here as the Minister of Georgia's development and cooperation.

This is great honor for all of us.

France is one of our major political partner and you, Mr. Minister are a pioneer of French-Georgian partnership.

France is our friend, Nicola Sarkozy stood side-by-side with us, when our country was in greatest hardship. When the Russian army threatened to destroy Georgia's sovereignty we managed to overcome the crises with your support.

We passed this exam and survived in the war. We are more deeply convinced in European and democratic mentality now.

I am sure that Georgian society will radically transform.

Georgia will become an example of development in the region. We have created a dynamic base since Rose Revolution and managed to overcome financial crises and survive.

Now we work on various projects that have a high potential to be carried out in cooperation with the French side. This concerns for example the agriculture, timber industry, electricity etc.

Mr. Raincourt with the assistance of your institutions such as the French Fund of World Development, with the assistance of the French society, the company supported Georgia in long-term development.

Recently we hosted the French Fund of World Development and it is very important for us to host French Agency of Development.

France stood with us in the most painful period for Georgia and I am sure that you will be with us in the period of our development.

You personally are an example of this and the decentralized cooperationthat you organize and support yourself. This is the bright example of cooperation that you had established with Georgia. You got acquainted and fell in love with Georgia when Georgia was not the model of long-term development. However our nationalways had a potential of development and it was permanently fundamental and European.

You continue loving and supporting Georgia. Georgia represents the lab of reforms and development in some respect.

Your devotion is very important for us. You are the bearer of many orders, but I want to award you with Saint George's Order of Victory.

French Minister of Cooperation Henri de Raincourt

It is great honor for me to receive this order. I am French, but it is great honor for me to be a friend of Georgia and Georgian people.

I got familiar with the Georgian history that is full of worries, it is painful, but at the same time glorious.

Georgia managed to overcome the challenges it faced with dignity and success.

This country has never denied its values and principles.

The chance that you personally Mr. President and your country have, have given Georgia a possibility to reach great success.

France willingly observes the transformation that goes on in Georgia with your initiative.

I always see many novelties when I come to Georgia - much is being done in various directions and great progress is notable.

France had always stood with Georgia in various circumstances and historical events. The President of France does his best to support the interests of Georgia. Together with the leaders of different countries he tries to work on the issue of Georgia's territorial integrity and to support Georgia's de-occupation by a foreign country. This is a fundamental principle for me.

Thank you very much for hosting me n Batumi.

This is a significant fact for me, because you wouldn't be able to hold such a ceremony in Batumi 6 or 7 years ago.

4-5 years ago, when we were here Batumi was not like it is today.

Envisaging this fundamental transformation we can say that Batumi is an example for the rest of Georgia that national agreement on the whole territory gives a chance for development and prosperity. It is absolutely necessary to use this chance. 

This is a message from our side that gives us hope and grants us with responsibility.