The President of Georgia met with the Executive Director of the Millennium Challenge Corporation – Daniel Yohannes within the scope of the official visit to the United States. The talks focused on the implemented and future projects by the corporation in Georgia. This time, Mikheil Saakashvili and Daniel Yohannes spoke about the education sphere and reforms implemented. They drew attention to the construction of a new Technical University in Batumi, the project of which Mikheil Saakashvili has personally presented to the Head of the Corporation. According to the President of Georgia, the building will not be rivaled across the world and its construction will end in September.
“We have been cooperating with the Millennium Challenge Corporation for the last two years and we have an ambition to open a branch of one of the leading Technological Universities of the United States –a new Georgian university, which will have its headquarters in Batumi. By the way, we are not waiting for the Americans – we have already begun construction and we will finish it soon. I showed the project of the new university to the Executive Director of the Millennium Challenge Corporation during our meeting. We will open one of the most beautiful buildings in Georgia in September. This building will be a symbol of improving and completing the education system. In the meanwhile, we are working on opening new schools. We have already opened several schools of international standards in Georgia but there should be hundreds of such schools. Americans will also help us in this direction. This year we are opening hospitals everywhere and we are exemplary in this regard at least in our region, because Georgia has developed buildings equipped with ultramodern technology. We should become no less exemplary in terms of schools next year. It is my ambition to have world class schools and hospitals not by the 2015 Modernization Plan, but by the end of my Presidency. Today it was once again proven that the Americans will help us in this process.” – stated Mikheil Saakashvili.
The Executive Director of the Millennium Challenge Corporation also commented on the agreement reached during the meeting.
“We talked about where we are with the second compact. You all know that the second compact primarily puts a lot of emphasis on higher education. We talked about the progress that has been made and what needs to be accomplished in the next couple of months.” - stated Daniel Yohannes.
Additionally, Mikheil Saakashvili drew attention to the book which was published by the initiative of the World Bank, presenting Georgia as an example of fighting corruption
“I am glad that I can show you the book published by the World Bank in which Georgia is presented as an example of fighting corruption throughout the world. Not only the countries of our region and the post soviet space or Africa and Asia, but the governments of several Western European states expressed interest in sharing our experience and requested to hear reports about it. Georgia has truly become a world brand in this direction” – noted Mikheil Saakashvili. The presentation of the book will be held in Washington D.C on January 31