The President of Georgia unveiled the statue of Ronald Reagan in Rike Park today. During his address, Mikheil Saakashvili spoke about the values which unite the ideas of freedom and democracy. While assessing the merit and service of Ronald Reagan, the Head of State focused attention on the Cold War era. As he noted, Reagan ruined the Soviet Empire and freed hundreds of millions of people 20 years ago.

“Freedom is the idea of Georgia, ideology, the moving force, and the motivation for each one of us and if anyone ever defended freedom, it was Ronal Reagan…the freedom of Georgia is also his merit. Our country is a bearer and supporter of the same ideology that Ronal Reagan defended and strengthened during his lifetime. That is why he deserves a place in the heart of Georgia, in the center of Tbilisi” – stated Mikheil Saakashvili.

The statue unveiling ceremony was also attended by the delegation of American Congressmen, headed by David Dreier, who arrived in Georgia on the 8^th anniversary of the Rose Revolution. After the speech of the President of Georgia, the Republican Congressman addressed the audience. He spoke about the importance of the Rose Revolution, implemented reforms, and recently achieved success of the country.

The Executive Director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation also attended the ceremony. John Heubusch delivered the letter of the wife of the 40^th President of the United States to Georgia and presented it to the audience gathered in Rike Park.