The President of Georgia visited Zugdidi today. Mikheil Saakashvili opened departure line at Zugdidi airport. The President himself conducted the very first flight. He flew SESNA type of aircraft personally. The leader of country spoke with the locals as well and promised them to open airport facility soon. Famous Italian architect designs the project of airport. Flights from Zugdidi airport will be conducted in the direction of Batumi and Mestia. While meeting with local population, Mikheil Saakashvili noted that the construction of highway will finish soon as well.
"It is good that an airport is being constructed here. We will procure French aircrafts by the end of next year and will start regular flights here. Despite the fact that there will be a huge airport in Poti, flights will be conducted from Zugdidi as well. First of all those tourists that will go to Anaklia will use this airport, second - those who will not be able to land in Mestia because of bad weather conditions and the third - special flight will be conducted for Zugdidi. Zugdidi is a big city, with more than 100 000 population - this is why it has to be on map and must have an airport as well. This is only the beginning. We are constructing 10 airfields. I promised people to open all airports by myself this is why I learned how to conduct planes. After Mestia first of all we needed an airport in Zugdidi. Construction of a big airport started in Poti that will end in one year. Poti airport will serve on international flights - it will be the biggest airport in Caucasus and there will be conducted flights no less than we have in Tbilisi. Here the local flights will be conducted: Zugdidi-Tbilisi, Zugdidi-Mestia, Zugdidi-Telavi, Zugdidi-Batumi - however the highway will also come all the up to this place and it will be easier for you to move. So, Zugdidi will not be detached and it will become a center. This is my promise", the President of Georgia noted.
From Zugdidi Mikheil Saakashvili went to village Jvari, where he decorated the cemetery of Georgian World War II hero Meliton Kantaria with flowers. The III public school, where World War II hero studied will be named after Meliton Kantaria by the initiative of the President of Georgia. The President spoke about Russia's occupation of Georgian territories exactly at the cemetery of Georgian hero on the day of a victory over the fascism.
"The share of Georgians in the victory over the fascism was great. These were Georgian Generals, Georgian warriors that were liberating Crimea, Texel and Berlin... Meliton Kantaria is the most classical example the tragic fortune of our country, because he end up his live in the status of a refugee. even today his cemetery is in persecution, because the place where he spend his whole live - is territory of Abkhazia. The motherland of second warrior, Egorov, who held the flag together with him is the occupant itself and the whole civilized world admitted this fact in various ways. Finally all occupations will end and defeated. At the same time we should maintain our contacts. Yesterday I have received a letter from the President of Ukraine. He congratulated us on this very day. I have also received a very warm letter regarding this day from the President of Belorussia Aleksandre Lukashenko that was full of human emotions. We mustn't loose these relations, because the land of Belorussia, Ukraine and other former Soviet Union countries were irrigated with Georgian blood. This is why all evil, every occupants will step back and will be finally defeated. This is the major lesson. This is a major thing that Meliton Kantaria knew very well, but unfortunately he didn't see it all. We will see it all by all mans!", the President of Georgia noted.