The President of Georgia addressed the population of Ozurgeti

4/13/2012

Welcome, my dears!

Despite the fact that everyone is preparing to celebrate the Christian holiday – we all are Christians and we have lots of things to do at home, life moves on and we have no time to waste.

No matter which holiday it is, just like today, we have to work constantly, regardless of good or bad weather – we have lots of things to build and fix.

What I have always thought about and wanted was to speed up the construction in Guria similar to the pace in the rest of Georgia.

There is something being initiated everywhere – many things are being built in Batumi, Kutaisi, Kakheti, and Tbilisi and I want the situation to be fixed in Guria as well.

I came here about 3 months ago to open the hospital and I promised you back then as well that everything would be fixed.

I would like to report to you now.

First of all, there is a Justice House being opened, which means that you will no longer have to go far to get documents and papers, hence you will neither have to take vans and buses, nor spend money on transport or stay elsewhere.

You already have the hospital and you do not have to go for treatment anywhere else, stay with your relatives and stay overnight on their mercy.

You see that we are fixing the center of Ozurgeti and we will surely complete this job – we are repairing all roads, just like Likhauri and all other roads are being repaired in Guria.

You know that the main thing for us is not to just fix the facades, or build such buildings; instead the main thing for us is to create jobs for people.

That is why, primarily to train people, I am opening a technical institute called “Horizon” today, where people of all ages will be able to acquire modern professions.

It is very necessary, as people will no longer leave their homeland and go to other cities to look for jobs.

The youth should have their profession and the opportunity to employ that profession right here.

One of the women told me several minutes ago that given the fair examinations, her two children have successfully applied to the energy faculty of the technical university a few years ago, and now they are anticipating employment in their own region.

Indeed, the construction of Bakhvi Dam and a few other hydro electric stations is to begin here in the coming weeks, for which we will need every qualified specialist – specialists of energy, as well as builders and drivers.

Every person can work there in order to have a source of income.

We have already begun to restore the seashore line in Ureki, which should be just as good as the one in Batumi and Anaklia.  We are doing all of this together as well.

We should also adequately rebuild Bakhmaro.

Bakhmaro is one of the prettiest places among the mountain resorts of Georgia.

This summer Bakhmaro will be a place like it has never been before.

We are starting to build a winter resort in Bakhmaro as well this year, so that people will come here both in summer and winter.

Likewise, we are building many cultural and sports facilities.

We have allocated funds a few weeks ago and the restoration of our pride, the Lanchkhuti Stadium is to begin. We want for it to regain its old time excellence.

Thus, there is no longer the kind of hopeless situation in Guria that was here before.

The actual prospect has emerged now, that based on the results of the ongoing work here, Guria will become one of the most dynamically developing regions of Georgia.

This is my duty in front of you.

This place has been abandoned for far too long because of many factors – either there was turmoil in Tbilisi, or war and distress, or there was a crisis and we did not have enough funds.

We have understood now that, no matter what obstacles we are faced with, Guria is a top priority for us, for the government!

We have to revive Guria all the way to the end!

I love you.

Thank you.