SAAKASHVILI WANTS BUSINESS TO HELP IN EASING RUSSIA’S EMBARGO
Civil Georgia, Georgia
Aug. 31, 2006
President Saakashvili told leading Georgian businessmen on August
31 that he has to exert what he called it "a light racketeering"
and to ask each of them to buy at least 10 tones of grapes from
wine-growers in order to ease a burden of Russia’s decision to ban
import of Georgian wine.
President Saakashvili met with businessmen in a town of Sagarego in
eastern region of Kakheti, which is a home of over 60% of Georgia’s
vineyards. Outdoor meeting, which was televised live, took place in
a vineyard.
Mikheil Saakashvili told businessmen that Russia wants to replace
the current government in Georgia through triggering social unrests
and banning of import of the Georgian wine was a part of this policy.
As the harvest approaches, wine-growers, mainly in the Kakheti region,
may face serious problems selling their grapes, because Georgian
wine-producing companies will not be able to purchase as many grapes
as last year after the Russian market was closed down in March.
The authorities are now trying to somehow ease potential protest
by thousands of wine-growers, especially on the eve of the upcoming
October 5 local self-governance elections.
"I want to ask you [businessmen] one thing. We should all help Kakheti
this year. We have put an end to the state racketeering in Georgia. But
today I want to exert a light racketeering on you for the first and
the last time. So I offer each of your company to buy this year 10
tones of grapes; take it and you can either let you employees eat it
or produce a wine from it," Saakashvili said.
"You should understand that now we are in a condition of economic
war. This is not an ordinary situation… I instruct PM Nogaideli to be
in charge of [grape] harvest in Kakheti. In addition, I also instruct
PM Nogaideli, Mikheil Svimonishvili [the Agriculture Minister],
Vano Merabishvili [the Interior Minister], Irakli Okruashvili [the
Defense Minister] and Zurab Adeishvili [the Prosecutor General] to be
in charge of harvest in each of five districts of Kakheti – Signagi,
Sagarego, Telavi, Kvareli and Gurgaani," he added.
He also said that the state itself can not purchase grape, but the
state can create conditions for wine-growers to sell grapes, despite
Russia’s "embargo."
"We should overcome this harvest with minimal losses and we should
not make our enemies happy… We should not let our enemies let see
our wine-growers protesting," Saakashvili said.
Speaking Tough on Russia
During the meeting with businessmen he spoke tough on Russia and blamed
"political establishment" in Moscow for deliberately creating problems
to the Georgian state.
President Saakashvili told businessmen that although the Georgian
state is no longer "a terrorizer" of the business, as it was during
ex-President Shevardnadze’s administration, "now a new terrorizer"
of the Georgian business has emerged.
"Unfortunately it is our neighboring Russia’s political establishment,"
he said.
"Russia has a very firmly expressed policy in respect of Georgia –
I want to believe that this is the policy of only one part of the
Russian authorities – and this policy is very simple: not to let
Georgia to strengthen and not to let Georgia to restore its territorial
integrity," Saakashvili said.
"Russia has vividly defined policy aimed at replacing the current
government in Georgia very promptly. They are implementing this through
trying to stifle Georgia so that to make the Georgian people believe
that there is no reason to fight for freedom, to fight for restoring
rule of law in Abkhazia and in Tskhinvali [breakaway South Ossetia]
and to make [the Georgian people] to overthrow this government and
to kneel down in front of Russia, because success of Georgia means
a failure of ideology of those decision-makers [in Moscow]. And do
not think that they [Russian officials] are promising something in
exchange, I know this because I had talks with them, they are just
telling us: you are in a trouble now, the only thing we can do is
not to further worsen your situation… This was [a content] of my
recent talks with our partners in Russia," Saakashvili said.
He said that a closure of the Zemo Larsi border checkpoint by Russia
also aimed has also aimed at targeting Armenia.
"Because Russia is telling Armenia: let’s jointly plot [against
Georgia]. But of course they will not be able to receive anyone’s
consent on this," the Georgian leader said.
Saakashvili said that Russia has its allies in Georgia, which try to
ease Moscow’s plans in respect of Tbilisi.
"Those [political] parties, which say that the Georgian government
has closed down Russian markets for the Georgian peasants are allies
of Russia… Also those media sources which are disseminating this
information are [Russia’s allies]. Those media sources, which will
start propaganda of an idea that there is a problem with the [grape]
harvest because the government made mistakes, will be [Russia’s
allies]," Saakashvili said.
He said that the only solution in the existing situation is to find
alternative markets for the Georgian wine.
"When the Russian market will open for the Georgian wine? There is a
very simple answer: as soon as they [officials in Russia] see that
Georgia has not been devastated… This market will only be opened
when Russia sees that Georgia already has an alternative markets for
its wine," Saakashvili said.
"Yes, they [Russian officials] do love Georgian wine, but willingness
to harm us is stronger; yes they miss the Georgian wine, but they say
let’s be patient and at first throw [the current Georgian government]
away," he said.
The President said that Georgia should not even hold talks with Moscow
about opening Russian market for the Georgian wine.
"It will only make them think that they are on a right way,"
Saakashvili said.
"There is no reason to have talks with predator… The only thing we
can do is to say without any rhetoric and irritation: we will do our
job anyway," he added.
"I want to tell Kakhetian peasants that there will problems this year
my brothers… But the most important now is not to let them [Russian
officials] hear our nagging; the most important is our journalists
to cover [harvest] so that not to make them [Russian officials]
see that they have reached their goal."
In the end of his speech, President Saakashvili asked Mayor of
Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava, who is currently campaigning for the upcoming
local elections in order to retain the post, to unveil his new
initiative. Ugulava told businessmen that the Tbilisi Municipality
will buy twice more grape than they will do. He said the move will be
a demonstration of a desire to help the country in a time of trouble.