The President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili joined the folk festival in Batumi and wished the representatives of all five regions a happy New Year. Mikheil Saakashvili tested the giant Adjarian Khachapuri, Adjarian wine and traditional meals with the local population. Mikheil Saakashvili spoke with the local population on their future plans. As he said the constructions in 2011 will continue not only in Batumi, but in the whole Adjara region as well. The city will become more beautiful and modern, and people will get jobs because of it.
"Last year we have fated construction in Adjara. We have serious plans this year as well, first of all in Batumi, where much bigger constructions will take place soon. We were building 20 and 30 storey Batumi, now we are starting to build 40-50-60 storey Batumi. At the same time we are planning construction of new Georgian Technology University that will be Georgia's answer to 21 century. This will become a standard to whole region and in education, as well as in many other spheres we will become an exemplary model. Besides this, we are starting construction of skiing and summer resorts in mountainous Adjara -as the development of Kobuleti economic zone will continue as well. New enterprises will open in Adjara and it will support people in finding jobs. We already have many proposals and specific plans and we have done some specific work in this direction as well. Super scale construction process takes place in Kutaisi; Anaklia will be added to Batumi sea line. We will spend tens of millions in order to turn Mestia in one of the biggest miracles of Georgia and in a resort of world standards. Besides all of this - Adjara is becoming a very beautiful place. It is true that the length of Adjarian Khachapuri growth every year, but the tempo of this growth will never catch up with the tempo of growth f Adjara and Batumi. Batumi-Mestia flight is conducting right now and it becomes a regular event in our reality", the President of Georgia stated during the conversation with the local population.
The President of Georgia also spoke about the development of wine culture in Georgia, as he said a Wine House will open soon in Keda and this place will turn into a second Sighnaghi. Our red wines are one of the best in the world, but we had some problems in white wines. This will become one of the best white wines around the world. We are bringing foreign technologists this year together with Levan. Construction of a small factory is starting as well. Keda will be arranged like Sighnaghi. This plan has a long history and we will start its realization this year. So, Adjara will have its own mini "Kakheti" and "Racha" zones - with a château, wine house, tunnel and with local Georgian wine of highest quality, made by foreign technologists. Everything should be in this region, there is not only the sea, but lot more potential - we are already constructing the winter resort of highest standards, we are developing wine-making zone, we have mineral waters, beautiful nature and everything what concerns economy. A person mustn't want to far away from here - everything should be on place. We will have a real breakthrough this year - we are already going out of Batumi and in this small, but very beautiful place we will use all possible resources; it never happened before", Mikheil Saakashvili noted.
The President congratulated Khulo population with the New Year as well and noted that the development of Khulo for him is as important as the development of Adjara and any other place in Georgia.
I always enjoy meeting with my dear Khulo population. I recently spoke with the deputies and heads of local administrations about our plans on Khulo development. Besides the fact that construction of a big resort will start there soon - a perspective appeared that we can connect Khulo to Adigeni, if not this year, then for the next year. It means that this place will not be a dead end any more and tourism will develop in this direction as well. All of us know that a new road opened in Javakheti direction. People from Javakheti will get to Batumi via Khulo and this place will alive. Besides this, the skiing resort that we construct in Khulo would need to be provided with products - and it will become the source of income for the local population. Many people will open hotels there and would become reach. On the other hand it will become a transit point. Hundreds of thousand tourists from Armenia or Turkey will use this road. Khulo will get much more income this way. All of this will follow the development of infrastructure. Levan has made this plan long ago and we will follow this agenda. So, every promise is fulfilled", Mikheil Saakashvili stated.
Mikheil Saakashvili spoke with Kobuleti soccer player Jano Ananidze and congratulated him with the success. He promised the soccer player to construct a modern stadium of Olympic standars in Batumi for the future success.
The President of Georgia met the singer Baiar Shahin, who has Georgian origins.
"People came from Trabzon, Rize to attend yesterday's event... It means that Batumi is not only the capital of our corner, but also is a regional center - a very important place in Black Sea region - I was always believed in it. Tens of millions of additional people will come here and it is very important. We are opening a very beautiful customs checkpoint here in May, a German architect made this project. Most of those people, who cross this boarder, are our fellow citizens. Communists divided us by citizen of religious marks, but the main thing, what unites us is our blood, the patriotism of our country. We will never give it up to anyone", Mikheil Saakashvili added.
The President of Georgia flew over renovated Batumi by plane. Mikehil Saakashvili was operating the plane by himself.