Greetings!

This is the historic day for us.

I want to remind people of my and older generation that this was the most closed and blocked border around the world.

Five years ago, when my brother the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan firs came on this border we have promised each other to build this border that would become exemplary for the rest of the region, for Europe, for the relationship between our people and for cooperation between the countries.

So now we all see the first results of this all.

Five years ago the Prime Minister Erdogan and me saw how people were torturing while standing in long lines from both sides.

So the Prime Minister made a promise that there would be no more artificial barriers existing between the countries any more.

I am the President for quite long time and I know it very well that the leaders and politicians like to make promises, but just few of them can fulfill their promises. I must note that PM Erdogan is one of those politicians, who always fulfill their promises. I try to be a politician like him, this is why it is so simple for me to cooperate with him.

Then he said that visa regime and artificial barrier had to be abolished between two countries. So today we do not have visa regime between two countries - we can cross this border without having visas.

Two years ago he said that free trade would become available between two countries - today we have free trade agreement between Georgia and Turkey. So we removed this barrier as well.

We achieved what did any other countries besides France and Switzerland not achieve.

We opened joint airport in Batumi. We have planned this three years ago and in year and a half the new airport was opened in Batumi, which serves Artvin, Rize, Khopa and Batumi at the same time. This airport connects Batumi directly to Istanbul.

Batumi is not a small, provincial, deaf city like it was during years, Batumi is not a dead-end any more. This city returns it's function, like the most important financial and tourist center around the whole Black Sea region.

I made a promise, that Batumi would become one of the most developed and most attractive city in the Black Sea region. With the help of Turkish investments together with Georgian workers and businessmen, with the international companies, with the participation of Turkish construction companies we are fulfilling this promise.

When PM Erdogan first came to Batumi 5 years ago and saw destroyed Batumi he asked weather it happened some disaster here.

He told me that he knew from the members of his family that Batumi was beautiful city with white walls, but this was not the same any more.

Then I have promised PM that we would reconstruct Batumi and he will be able to see it again beautiful.

Now it is not a secret any more that Batumi and Ajara become more beautiful day-by-day, it develops stage-by-stage and moves forward.

We are opening the highest and most beautiful hotel in the Black Sea region soon. This will be Batumi Hilton, which was constructed by Turkish workers. This is the first symbol of new Batumi.

I want to tell you that we have many other joint achievements.

We have joint airport, free trade agreement, and free border crossing. Turkish drivers will agree with me that there is no more bribing in Georgia. Due to our reforms there is no more corruption in Georgia and traffic is simplified.

This is why trade turnaround between Georgia and Turkey is phenomenal, it was increased four times during last several years. This means that four times more people were employed, Georgian families got 4 times more income.

So everything what we do and what we agreed on serves one and the same mission - close relationship between our people and simplification of their living conditions.

I know PM Erdogan for 5 years and I know that he is the leader of a very big country. I am occupied with small problems and it is natural because Georgia is a small country and the President of Georgia must take care of each citizen of Georgia, but Turkey comparing to Georgia is a very big country. I have relations with many country leaders, they have great plans and ambitions, they are playing the big politics, but they have never talked to me about ordinary people and their fortune. It is true that PM Erdogan and me work very well on the important issues, but he sometimes calls to solve the problem of each Turkish person.

This is what the true leader of the state must be. He is the real state figure, who no matter how high he will go and what is his position, will always take care of each citizen.

I really want to wish the PM and his team success in the revival, development and progress of Turkey.

We have made one more decision today.

Now we are building a railroad between Georgia and Turkey. This is not a railroad connecting only these two countries. This is the railroad that will connect China, Central Asian Countries with Europe. This is the railroad from Beijing to London via Georgia and Turkey.

We are broadening the perspectives of the airport, of our seaports. We are opening free economic zone in Poti. This will be attached to Black Sea shore of Turkey and practically we will be one another's economic extension.

Turkey is opening 17 border crossing points in various places, but I wish this particular border crossing point to be the best.

Today we have made a decision that for the first time in this region Turkey and Georgia open joint custom crossing point, joint border, with a joint administration and with joint controlling tools, in order to avoid coming out of the car several times and communicate with several bureaucracies.

This border must be hardly noticeable for people, because all problems and discomfort that you feel during crossing the border will be reduced by 70 percent. People will cross the border and not even guess that they have done it. This border should be alike the borders between France and Switzerland, the border that doesn't exist in any country in the region. It should be the border that Turkey doesn't have with any country in its neighborhood and Georgia doesn't have with any country in its neighborhood. Still we wish and we are leading negotiations to have such borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia.

This should be the region where borders do not separate people but bring them closer, they do not complicate the lives of the people, but simplify it - because it gives income, employs them, creates better conditions, especially during the global crisis.

This is our today's decision.

We have agreed with the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and in immediate weeks Turkish side will start constructing Georgian part of the border. Then this part will be connected to the already built part and it will be called joint Turkish-Georgian border.

This will be the border that will serve the interests of our peoples.

My dear people from Artvin and Riza, from Khopa and Sarpi, from Batumi!

We do not divide you anyhow!

We have come here not to divide our countries, but for uniting them and achieving progress and success together, move forward together, to have firm brotherhood and friendship between our countries and oup peoples.

I once again express my gratitude and wish you success!

It's really a beautiful day today.

Press Office
of the President of Georgia