Now you are in the country, which was practically ruined just two years ago. There was a situation where no single structure functioned. For the last 14 years only few kilometers of roads were repaired in the whole country. We had power shortages and therefore the capital city and the regions were in blackout for several weeks.
Before the Rose Revolution the police force did not receive salaries for months, the army was not fed for weeks and the pensions were not issued for 12 months. Last year, before my predecessor had been ousted, the budget of Georgia was just USD 300 million. We started establishing order. Many did not understand it while considering us aggressive and some of the measures taken by us too rough.
But now we are getting a return, since within 18 months the Georgian authorities managed to solve a budgetary issue and this year the state budget will reach 2 billion dollars. This increase is due to the fact the government does not steal money any more - we haven't had big enough investments yet.
We have fundamentally reformed the police force. For the first 6 months of my presidency I desperately attempted to reform traffic police - persuaded them, promised bonuses, raised the salaries. But they did not perceive us seriously. At the end of June we made a decision and dismissed all the traffic police officers. It was right the height of the summer season.
Then everybody thought, that there would be traffic accidents, people would die. But nothing happened. During 3 months we lived without traffic police. Then we recruited completely new people and created a patrol police, which fully complies with the European standards. These policemen receive 15 times more salary, are dressed accordingly and what's the most important people love them. Before that the rating of the police force was only 5 percent, now it has reached 95 percent. People tell stories about them, how they help old men, how they fill in petrol to drivers, and even help pregnant women deliver babies. They have really become national heroes. The main thing is that, it is not a corrupt police force any more. Before everything was quite the opposite. Azerbaijani and Armenians frequently come to Georgia and they can confirm it.
We made a huge work in improving tax and customs services. The results are apparent. This and the next year great reconstructions will take place in the whole country. We spend USD 450 million in building roads so that, by the end of summer all roads in Georgia corresponded to the European standards. We spend 50 times more money for the construction of roads than we did the last year.
We build new schools, hospitals, cultural institutions, hundreds of sport halls and play grounds. Only this year we built 100 judo halls. We repair the facades. All this is done to bring the country back to life. The day before yesterday we opened youth camps where children come from all over Georgia. We are impatiently waiting for a big Ukrainian group to arrive in Georgia and our youth to go to Artek. I was there when I was young and liked it a lot. In general, one can feel the dynamism. But certainly, there are lots of problems, there are public expectations, and there are many questions, but the main thing is that the country, which many considered unable to solve anything, has come to life. Everyone thought there would be a war in Ajara. Last year, GUAM Summit failed in Ajara, and everybody thought there were shootings there.
Go and make sure yourself. You can't find more silent, quiet corner in the entire post-Soviet space, than Ajara is. Everything happened there without a single shot and we are committed to solve the other issues in the same way since Georgia needs to be developed. We are building a new seaport, and develop a transport infrastructure, our Prime Minister has already spoken about it.
The key priority in our policy is relationship with you since we are linked with common human and cultural space. I believe we, former Soviet countries have common advanced and democratic future. It is the historic chance for all nations, living in the former Soviet Union, including Russia of course.
When we speak about our relations with the CIS countries, we speak that all artificial barriers have to be eliminated. They are not acceptable to us. Barriers associated with transport, movement of people and old prejudices are not acceptable to us. We should understand, that there is no other alternative except that of an open society, communications and contacts.
It is very important, that we have reached an agreement on the withdrawal of Russian military bases from the Georgian territory because it is one of the two questions (the second concerns the conflict in Abkhazia), which hindered the improvement of Russian-Georgian relationship. I believe, that a completely new stage starts in our relationship. I must especially underline the Russian political courage and political intuition. Frankly speaking, there was a very big pressure to leave this issue unresolved, but the Russia's leadership still took the decision.
There are spheres in these relations that need to be disposed of. We have solved this issue, have signed an agreement and nothing terrible has happened. On the contrary, a historic chance to change our relations has immerged. We have no other alternative.
There is an economic progress in Georgia. I must emphasize that this progress has been achieved under conditions of full democracy. I am sure that press in Georgia is one of the most free in the world and we are proud of it. Despite the fact that there are no closed subjects, we always win the debates. All the time we have to convince the society. And exactly at such debates the society develops. Everyone understands that reforms are necessary also reforms are irreversible.
Democracy, free elections, freedom of speech, local self-governance, which we will develop not only because someone recommends it, are very important for us. Yesterday I was asked, whether local self-governance will be developed in the country as recommended by the Council of Europe. We are ready to listen to advice, ready to share experience, but nobody will instruct us other than our own people and our aspirations towards our future. It is usual and normal, all countries should do so.
We are not indifferent to the degree of freedom in the former Soviet space and certainly, we cannot impose our model of development on anybody. Georgia is not an exporter of revolution though we would like to share our example, experience, our successful reforms.
They tried to create an image of a scarecrow out of Georgia.
I tried to assure my colleague Leonid Danylovych Kuchma that nothing horrible would happen. But for a year he would keep saying, "Ukraine is not Georgia and nothing good will come out of repeating your model." I think everything will be all right in Ukraine and beyond since democracy and reforms are irreversible.
There is no exact model. For us it is not about exporting something, what we are looking for is to share our example and success (in which we are sure) and to attract others with our democratic model to develop. And this is the historic mission for us in the face of our own people at first, the whole international community and, of course, the CIS community.
We welcome all of you, we are happy to see you here. Many of you have already been to Georgia earlier and I think you have perfectly understood that people here are as warm and open as they used to be.
We have passed the test of freedom. We were taught to be friends with each other at schools and elsewhere, we served army together, but the main thing is to be friends today when nobody forces you to do so and when everybody is free to choose a friend, an ally or a partner. And when being in that conditions most of us managed to keep the friendship and even transform it into a bigger honest and warm relation which means that in the conditions of freedom we and our peoples are created for each other.
On behalf of my nation, which hosts all the leaders of the governments of the Commonwealth of Independent States, once again I would like to welcome you and wish you all the best for the rest of your time in Georgia.
Communications Office
of the President of Georgia