My dear people, I welcome you all!

Exceptional people have gathered in this hall today - we are an exceptional generation.

Georgia is facing one of the greatest challenges in its history today, today Georgia is in its most critical, decisive, dangerous and at the same time it is the period of great capabilities.

National movement has to understand where we stand today.

We should realize that the souls of our ancestors look at us, the heroes of our history and the future generations are looking at us.

Today is the moment of Georgia's victory.

Today Georgia has a unique chance to get united

We all have to know that no one will forgive us not to use this chance.

No one will forgive if we express weakness now.

No one will forgive doubtfulness, chatter and aimless promises.

No one will forgive us if we get used to our biggest enemy - unhappiness and rivalry, because Georgian history is the history of receiving, adopting and overcoming the biggest challenges.

Otherwise the Georgian nation would not exist today.

The Georgian history is the history of David and Goliath's struggle, and no matter how strong, evil, merciless and wicked is the Goliath, David is always the winner.

There is no other way for free, united, integrated and self-reliant nation to become a winner.

This is why I say, that it is the epoch of Georgia's victory.

It is very important to recall where we stood four years ago.

When my friends and I watch the film on the Rose Revolution, we always get surprised to see only black and white, and I always wondered if the TV stations had only black and white films in that period.

This was our life, dull, unhappy - this was the life in Georgia - without any perspectives, total hopelessness and nothing mattered.

I had lived abroad for a quite long time and remember how Georgians were ashamed of their origin.

I myself was never ashamed, but I needed so much time to explain that my country really existed and where it was.

Today the situation is changed, know any person in America, Australia and in Europe not only knows where is Georgia, but pronounce the name of our country positively.

When twenty years ago I went to Kiev for education, I was very proud of my Georgian origin and used to tell everyone that Georgians are the best. Everyone agreed.

This feeling got lost afterwards.

And during these four years we all returned our Georgian, national pride.

Could anyone imagined that the Presidents of US, France, Poland and other 22 countries, the German Chancellor would only talked about Georgia during two days.

Lets recall what is our history.

Sulkah-Saba Orbeliani was waiting in Ludoviko the 14th reception room for several hours and then was sent home without any answer.

We were knocking on the doors of great Empires but nobody was interested.

Everything has changed today - Georgia is in absolutely different position.

We lived in the epoch, when corruption was a rule and norm.

This disease was mostly taking place in force structures, but we managed to eliminate it.

No matter how much they would criticize us by means of various informational sources, every Russian that I meet asks me - is it true that police cannot be bribed?

Everyone knows it and this is why they express aggression for several years running.

Everyone will ask us - why we did not die of hunger, we do not export Borjomi and wine to Russia any longer. We did not die and won't die!

Remember it well, we will resist everything and will always survive!

We have dignity, resistance and self-respect in our blood, and despite of different ideas and despite of talks of our internal opponents, we will resist everything.

One of our opponents spoke on TV - the question was - why we buy so much equipment - brave men must have iron hearts, no matter if the sword wooden - (Georgian quote).

They can buy wooden swords, but we will buy equipment that contemporary soldiers need and we will have technologies that modern warriors need.

We are not that many, but we will defeat aggressors and occupants with our equipment, with the level of our training and of course with the motivation.

One part of Georgia is under the occupation conducted by the biggest aggressor.

I want everyone to acknowledge that our main mission is establishing peace.

Everything what we achieved before this day, we achieved peacefully. All we achieved in this country is the evidence that our country belongs to all ethnicities.

It belongs to Ossetians, to Abkhazians, Armenians and the Azeribaijanians, Jews and Greeks, Ukrainians and Russians residing in Georgia - each of them is an important part of our heritage.

They are especially precious for each of us.

I must know that this peace should be defended; its defense is our unity.

No one can defeat Georgia if it has the support of the rest of the world; Georgia cannot be defeated if there is unity in the country.

Georgia used to be defeated when it lost the interest of the outer world, Georgia used to be defeated when Georgians fought with each other.

We genetically have two things - one part of Georgians, unfortunately, was ready for the compromise that was unacceptable for us, was ready to give up and was ready for betrayal, but absolute majority of Georgians knows perfectly well that strength is in unity.

The only formula to save Georgia is the country's unity, endurance and victory.

We will stand together, we will stand firm and we will win! I want to tell you that the major danger that threatens not only our land, but also our freedom and democracy. Our enemy wants to possess Georgia, because Georgia is exceptionally beautiful.

Our country is attractive with its natural resources, exceptional climate and environment, but the major reason of what happens against Georgia today, is its economic development and our struggle against corruption, Georgia did miracles.

Hope you all remember how corrupt this country was, how many of you were oppressed and not permitted to get education, you probably remember how much it cost to get high marks by the end of the term, otherwise nobody had any chance.

We said that we would defeat it - and we succeeded.

We said that policemen would never stop anyone on the street. We said that we would create a state.

Nobody believed it - but we could!

We achieved miracles and we have to continue this way.

Saint George's miraculous victory over the Emperor - this is the fate of Georgia.

Georgia is one of the major cradles of world civilization, the country of special endurance, history, culture and achievements.

I want everyone to realize, that there are many challenges before us.

We have proved many times that everyone who treated us skeptically, was mistaken.

Four years ago everyone said, they would not be able to stand long, because they lack experience, we have a worldwide politician, who is so experienced and he was not able to do anything, what these inexperienced people would do.

We have shown them, that most important is not reputation and occupation, but most important is how one loves his country - more than himself or less.

Look through our history.

What happened last November?

The society's hardships were misused last year. We said that the rule of life would have completely changed in Georgia and this has become a subject of dispute.

Bribe-taking is not a Georgian tradition.

Feudalism was Georgia's greatest enemy, but David the Builder eradicated the tradition of misusing power by feudalists.

Neither corruption, nor enmity is the Georgian tradition. Just external forces are establishing such a rule of life in our country, which is based on the principle - split and reign.

One thing was important for us - nobody should have taken a bribe. We said that those who did not observe traffic rules - regardless of whether they were driving Jeeps or Mercedes - patrol police will stop and fine them.

Some described this fact as violence.

We also said that drug dealers would be arrested, and no influential telephone calls... would have saved them, because, they actually are killers of thousands of their compatriots.

A guilty will be held responsible before the law as strictly as possible.

Some describe arrest of such people as violence.

We said that thieves of hens are also thieves, because those hens and cows, which have been stolen from a peasant, can be the only source of keeping a family for them.

You deprive many families of this source of existence and make them die with hunger.

Mostly those residents of Tbilisi are against arresting thieves of hens, who have five or ten thousands of incomes and it is very easy for them to say it.

And this is necessary.

It is also said that there is violence in Georgia. In reality the rate of violent crime has decreased threefold in last three years. We have achieved it jointly. We will completely root out gangsters and bandits.

There is a great difference between us and some other people - we are arresting criminals, while they say that they will release everybody.

I also receive letters with this content: release this or that person from jail and we will give the votes of our village to you. Principles are not sold for money. We are the state and we will not change our security for anything...

We have never made similar compromises and we will still pursue this policy in future as well.

Lets return to those events that took place last year.

We heard - elections in spring!

Just because our malevolent wanted to hold elections in spring, it was not worth of political crisis and I told this to our people.

This malevolent started to issue passports in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali, created its own structures there, started to strengthen military basis in Caucasus and started to attack Georgia.

So it happened as it was planned. We did not want elections to coincide with the presidential elections in Russia in spring, because with the decision on Kosovo status, NATO summit was taking place that time, and because of many international factors, predicting that tensions were expected in Georgia's conflict zones by spring, by that time our country was supposed to be weak and split apart.

I ask you, who were right - those, who said that we should create a political crisis because of that, or we, who warned that all these would turn against Georgia?

This is exactly the case when time is a major judge.

This is the case, when we know what to do and our opponents know what to do.

We have to prove our truth only with debates and we have to bring the major aim of our live and future development to our society.

We found the way out of political crisis easily - elections will be held in spring. We gave our people and not our evil wishers the right to choose.

Despite of all their attempts we have not given them a chance to spoil this process.

They and the whole world will see that we will win elections this spring!

My dear fellow citizens, great challenges are ahead.

Our main challenge inside our country is poverty.

It is impossible to overcome poverty by sitting at home and crying, we have to overcome poverty with active actions.

Georgia is an exceptional country.

We don't have gas and oil.

The prices on gas are getting higher around the world, food gets expensive, and this is why we have to do everything to be able to gather more harvest.

I travel a lot to regions and see that much more agricultural works have been done this year.

This is the result of our hard work.

We helped people and reduced prices on tractors and gas, peasants should be able to irrigate their land, because without the intensive works performed in agricultural sector, we will not be able to achieve normal level of living.

50 percent of our society lives in the villages.

They produce only 10 percent of our national products. It is necessary to produce much more, to increase their share in the development of our society significantly.

We need to import many more tractors and to improve irrigation systems.

We will triple the number of tractors next year; we need to utilize more abilities, to bring in gas, fertilizer and chemicals.

People in villages need to have a dignified life.

For example it is necessary to develop library projects.

We have a very educated society, we have exceptional youth and we have to return them a chance to get education.

So we need libraries, computers and many more for this reason.

Now every school in villages has computers and are heated, we have to equip these schools with books and newspapers.

Every village will have natural gas. Youth should be able to get to school from one village to another.

We need to give people a chance to get information, because we have very wise people in villages.

Traditionally Georgians are very wise and talented people. The only way to overcome poverty is education and work, so the state must create all possible conditions for them.

Cheap credit - is not a general idea - it is a possibility for a person to start work and the state will support you.

We will save and support our village and Georgia will become an exporter of agricultural products.

Georgia was a blind alley. Those people, who decided to split our country apart, separated us from the world communication nets.

The railway was closed down from Abkhazia. Larsi and Roki tunnel were closed down.

We responded by realizing the greatest project - when Karsi-Akhalkalaki railway is built, Georgia will join the railway net connecting Asia and Europe.

We did it together and it is reality.

It doesn't matter how much they speak about our mistakes - they, who don't do anything and don't work, don't make mistakes.

It is much better to work day and night, to come close to our main aim, and to let the country stand firm is much better than not to do anything and lay down on a couch and not make any mistakes.

This is why my dear people, I wish to stretch a hand to everyone.

David Bakradze said it right - our major enemy is poverty and unemployment.

We are facing great challenges, we will leave those challenges in past and we will win.

Now about our opposition, I want to tell every minister and governor not to participate directly in the election campaign.

If any party doesn't have informational board or billboard, National Movement will give them several, to give them a chance to better express what they want to do in future.

I don't know whether this will bring them additional votes, but we have to act right.

I invite any oppositional party to join us in the ceremony of handing new computers to children and for example to attend the ceremony of opening a new irrigation canal.

If they wish to participate in the construction, let's give them this chance. If they don't want to participate in the construction, let's invite them to the opening ceremony in order to share our happiness.

This is our country, our future and our success.

I want to thank the former parliament for their devotion and work.

I was a parliamentarian in three different parliaments. I remember what was going on during 90-ies, exactly in one year everyone became rich, everyone became a successful businessman and the government was still loyal to these people.

Exactly in one year Mercedes changed Ladas and I saw it clearly how many expensive cars surrounded the parliament building.

I lived nearby and I saw it myself.

We did not allow it and this is what makes the National Movement special.

Four of our party members were convicted and the parliament deprived them of immunity.

In most European countries nothing similar happens, I am not saying anything about the Ukraine, Russia and such countries.

This is the only party, which has been renewed; this is the party, in which three-fourth of people have been reshuffled. And I want to welcome these people, because we are one team.

I want to welcome David Bakradze, he is the true leader and representative of those, who we brought into politics.

I want to thank Nino Burjanadze, because a tradition of compromise and dialogue, which was introduced by Nino, is the key attribute which should be preserved by the National Movement.

Continuation of traditions - this is the National Movement;

Continuation and strengthening of national traditions - this is the National Movement.

"Action instead of speaking" - it doesn't mean that we cannot speak; it just means that we need to do more.

We are responsible not only before our electorate, but before multi-millennium future of Georgia.

Georgia without corruption, Georgia without clans, Shevardnadze and his groups, Georgia without feudalism and Aslan Abashidze.

But the key challenges are still ahead. We should pass the major test now. Everything what has been happening till now is the preparation for this major test.

We will pass this test for the sake of our future generations.

Georgia is the flagship state of democracy in this region.

The future of entire Europe is being solved in our country. The future of freedom throughout the world is being solved here.

It will be solved here, at the expense of our bravery and heroism, whether the world will go forward or whether it will fall under the reign of authoritarian regimes.

We are witnessing the battle between good and evil and I want everyone to realize it very well that the major frontline is here in Georgia.

We are protecting the flag of good, we are protecting our future, but we are also protecting the dignity and prestige of the world, the future of the democratic world.

Saint George will lead us in this struggle of kindness and evil!

United Georgians and all the other nations who live in Georgia, will defeat all unhappiness.

Our victory will be the century defeat of evil and will become the victory for kindness and future.

Let's wish each other success in this great battle.

God bless us!

Let Saint George lead us!

Press Office
of the President of Georgia