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TBILISI: Saakashvili vows to reunite Georgia - fuller version

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  • TBILISI: Saakashvili vows to reunite Georgia - fuller version

    Saakashvili vows to reunite Georgia - fuller version

    Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
    4 Jul 05


    Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has pledged that the separatist
    conflict in South Ossetia will be resolved "very quickly". In a speech
    at the Georgian Technical University on 4 July, he said that the
    success of last year's "revolution" in Ajaria reinforced his belief
    that no challenge was too big and that Georgia would eventually also
    regain control of its other breakaway region, Abkhazia. To allay
    widespread fears in Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda districts, which are
    populated almost exclusively by ethnic Armenians, about unemployment
    following the departure of Russian troops from the area, Saakashvili
    announced that farmers in these two districts would have a monopoly on
    food supplies to the Georgian armed forces. He also announced measures
    to fight organized crime, which, he said, had "spread to all spheres
    of life without exception". The following is an except from
    Saakashvili's speech, broadcast live by Rustavi-2 TV; subheadings
    inserted editorially:

    Late PM Zhvania helped Saakashvili enter politics

    [Saakashvili] Good evening. I am very pleased to see you all here. It
    is a great honour for me to unveil the Zhani Kalandadze auditorium at
    the Georgian Technical University this evening.

    Zhani Kalandadze was governor of Guria [who was killed in a road
    accident in May]. He was one of the most brilliant representatives of
    Georgia's new generation. Just as Zurab Zhvania [late Georgian prime
    minister] in the past opened the way for many politicians, including
    myself, into Georgian politics, I am proud that I created an
    opportunity for Zhani and many of his friends - we created this
    opportunity and we are still creating such opportunities every day
    because these doors are open to everyone - to realize their
    potential. [Passage omitted]

    Fighting organized crime

    There have always been two kinds of mentality in Georgia. Political
    struggle is a normal phenomenon. When people quarrel or even swear at
    each other because of their political convictions, this is part of a
    normal democratic process. However, when people are ready to stoop to
    anything, even harm their own country, just because they do not like
    Saakashvili, [Education Minister Kakha] Lomaia or someone else, this
    smacks of something completely different. This is about us not having
    a tradition of statehood. [Passage omitted]

    We know that we are facing a fierce battle. We are not going to go
    back on our promises. Since we said that we would fight corruption, we
    will fight to the death in order finally to defeat it. This fight will
    not cease even for a minute. Since we said that we would eradicate
    organized crime, we will eradicate it. The past few days have shown us
    that, despite several brilliant operations by Georgian police,
    organized crime in Georgia has deep roots. It has spread to all
    spheres of life without exception. It has sufficient power to
    influence public opinion. It has spread to politics. When I saw the
    politicians who took to the street to defend bandits, I was not
    surprised to see some of them, but there were several whose presence
    there shocked me personally. It could not believe it was possible.

    I am saying this because we are not going to put up with this. Later
    this week I will be sending a bill to parliament. I am using the
    president's right to initiate legislation. It is a Georgian bill on
    the fight against organized crime that will punish criminals not only
    individually - all countries punish killers - but the way it is done
    in America, Italy and other countries that have faced similar
    problems. Membership of an organized crime gang will be punishable.

    You know that that there are kingpins in some areas. Some young people
    who, unfortunately, are involved in this because of social problems
    look up to them as an example to follow. Anyone found guilty of being
    an area kingpin will go to prison. Crime bosses will automatically
    find themselves in prison, irrespective of whether or not they are
    personally involved in theft and extortion. We will starve organized
    crime of oxygen. We will adopt a law that our country needs. You want
    to be a so-called tough guy and member of an organized crime gang, you
    can do it, but only in a Georgian prison, not as a free person in any
    part of Georgia.

    Ethnic Armenians to supply food to Georgian troops

    That is one initiative we will propose. Second, we must understand
    that there are very important issues we need to address. That is what
    we discussed today with the defence minister. Russian troops will soon
    withdraw from Georgia, so this is the other plan we have drawn up. You
    know that the population of Javakheti - in Ninotsminda and Akhalkalaki
    - has always been wary of it [Russian troop withdrawal] because they
    are the military base's suppliers. This is their livelihood. Two
    thousand Russian military personnel buy Ninotsminda and Akhalkalaki
    potatoes, milk, cheese and other produce, helping local people to make
    ends meet. Naturally, they always had fears that they could face
    problems once the Russian base went.

    Today, together with the Georgian defence minister, we have decided
    that all 20,000 military personnel of the Georgian armed forces -
    catering standards in our army are now better than they are at this
    military base - will be fully supplied with agricultural produce by
    residents of Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda. We will buy this produce in
    Ninotsminda and Akhalkalaki, so that none of our citizens of Armenian
    origin or any person living there has any concerns about the loss of
    income because the Georgian state is growing stronger in the area and
    foreign influence is weakening.

    No challenge is too big

    Naturally, there are many problems in Georgia. What I have mentioned
    are just some of our problems. Almost half of Georgia's population
    lives below the poverty line set in accordance with European
    standards. That is a catastrophic problem. You know that there are
    people who are still unable not only to go to university but even go
    to school. However, there are two ways of looking at things.

    [George] Bernard Shaw used to say: There are people who see things and
    say, why? But there are also people who dream things and say, why not?

    Zhani Kalandadze and all of us belong in the group of people who say,
    why not? You know that we have been answering this question all the
    time. When last year masked gunmen prevented the Georgian president
    from crossing the Choloki [river] and entering Ajaria, it all looked
    like an impossible dream. At the time, many politicians and political
    pundits who are active today were saying that it was impossible, that
    the situation was terrible, that there was no hope for the future and
    that it was impossible to solve this problem quickly. All attempts to
    solve it were described as deliberate acts of provocation and excesses
    of revolutionary zeal by the Georgian government. What Georgia
    witnessed in Batumi on 5 May when we arrived there on the first
    anniversary of the Ajarian revolution, when the whole of Batumi was
    celebrating in the streets, was indeed a dream come true.

    South Ossetia conflict to be settled "very quickly"

    Is it not a dream come true, for example, that at the end of this week
    in Batumi, in rooms where they for years discussed future plans for
    Georgia's disintegration, we will be holding a conference, together
    with our citizens of Ossetian origin, on a peaceful settlement of the
    conflict in the Tskhinvali region? I promise you, as president of
    Georgia, that this conflict will also be resolved very quickly.

    When all this was happening in Ajaria last year, people in the first
    group kept complaining, whereas we were saying, why not, everything
    would be fine. That is how it worked out in the end. [Passage
    omitted]

    Energy problems to be resolved

    Georgia is currently facing energy problems. You know that all our
    power facilities were run down for many years. Yet, every family in
    Georgia needs electricity. Until recently, the majority of analysts
    thought this would be impossible. I say to you that this is
    possible. Why not? We need to work on it and we will achieve it.

    Pessimists proved wrong over Russian troop withdrawal

    Or, for example, last year people were saying that we should accept
    that Russian troops would not leave. They kept telling us that we
    should understand that such issues could not be decided in Georgia,
    that Georgian diplomats could not deal with them and that such issues
    were decided somewhere else, I don't know where. We said, why not,
    this would be decided in Georgia and we would stand together and
    achieve this. We have done it: an agreement has been signed and the
    process has begun.

    Abkhazia will "most definitely" be reclaimed

    Or take, for example, people who do not believe in their own country
    and say that [reclaiming] Abkhazia is impossible. I recently attended
    a conference in Monaco where I received a prestigious award. I can
    tell you, without any false modesty - you know that we, Georgians, are
    fond of saying that we are the best, which is good - that Bichvinta
    [Georgian name for Pitsunda, a sea resort in Abkhazia] and Gagra [in
    Abkhazia] as well as, by the way, Kvariati and Gonio [Ajarian sea
    resorts] are certainly nicer places [than Monaco], providing they are
    well looked after. When I said this to one or two of my compatriots
    who accompanied me there, they said, come on, Bichvinta and Gagra may
    well be better, but when will Bichvinta and Gagra be [under Georgian
    control again]? This is not possible.

    Why not? Most definitely, yes. Most definitely, we will achieve
    this. I saw a roadside poster today saying that Abkhazia is causing us
    pain. Of course it is, but we should not just be writing that it is
    causing us pain. Forget about pain, let's take down these posters, get
    ready and get strong instead of constantly grieving over our pain and
    distress and the tragedy that has befallen us. All that could have
    befallen us has done so. It is now time to get back on our feet and
    improve.

    Georgia to emerge as "developed European country"

    I would particularly like to say this today: can Georgia ever be a
    developed European country? Together with Zhani Kalandadze and each of
    you, who are the best part of Georgian society and its best young
    representatives - I would like to say on Zhani's behalf and on your
    behalf, why not, it certainly will.

    Thank you very much. [Applause]
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