Category: News

Government behind country’s deprivation of US aid programme – Azeri opposition
Azadliq, Baku
26 May 04
The statement says: “The US Congress has decided to allocate 5bn
dollars to developing countries within the framework of the Millennium
Challenges programme.”
[Passage omitted: reported details of the programme]
As has already been reported, Azerbaijan is one of the countries which
will not receive the financial aid allocated within the framework of
the Millennium Challenges programme. Unlike Azerbaijan, the other two
South Caucasus countries – Georgia and Armenia will receive 500m and
330m dollars respectively.
This shows that the suppression of democratic values in the country
by the incumbent government and the employment of corruption as a
state policy caused Azerbaijan, the overwhelming majority of whose
population live in poverty, the loss of 100m dollars.
The rule of the corrupt regime over 10 years led to the gradual
deterioration of the Azerbaijani people’s living conditions and to
misappropriation of funds in the sum of a billion dollars by a group
of people in the authorities. At the same time, this fact objectively
expresses the negative opinion of the international public about
Azerbaijan. Traditionally, Azerbaijan is described in reports by
international organizations as a country flagrantly violating human
rights, suppressing democratic values and as highly corrupt. That means
that this government’s presence does not enable our country to get the
support of the international public for the resolution of its problems.
The People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party [PFAP] states this huge
material damage on our country, just because of this fact, is another
unforgivable step harming the Azerbaijani people’s living conditions
and the state.
The PFAP thinks the incumbent government, which has turned corruption
and legal nihilism into a state policy and is trying to suppress the
democratic processes, is responsible for Azerbaijan’s deprivation of
[US] financial aid when Armenia, fighting a war with Azerbaijan,
received 300m dollars [as published].
The PFAP states that Azerbaijan’s deprivation of major financial
assistance to support the formation of democratic and open society
and economic reforms, is a heavy blow to our country’s national
development and the interests of the state and the government should
answer to the Azerbaijani people for this.

US congressman hails Azeri efforts in fighting terrorism
Trend news agency
26 May 04
Baku, 26 May: “We appreciate Azerbaijan’s efforts in fighting
international terrorism,” the [deputy] chairman of the House Armed
Services Committee of the US Congress, Curt Weldon, told Azerbaijani
Parliament Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov today, Trend reports.
He stressed the importance of developing US-Azerbaijani relations,
particularly in the area of inter-parliamentary cooperation.
In turn, Alasgarov spoke in favour of developing US-Azerbaijani
cooperation. At the same time, he called on the US side, as a country
co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group, to step up its efforts to resolve
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Georgian president calls for national unity in Independence Day speech
Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
26 May 04
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has used the occasion of the
Independence Day parade to call on his people to “reclaim Georgia” by
working together to achieve the country’s unification. In his speech,
which was broadcast live by the Georgian TV station Rustavi-2,
Saakashvili said that “neither Georgia nor its president will
ever accept a fragmented Georgia”. He said the first step towards
unification had been taken in Ajaria, and urged the peoples of
the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to join in the
process of agreeing the form of a single state. At the same time,
he promised to respect their language rights and to take account of
their interests. Saakashvili also bemoaned the fact that economic
and political troubles had forced many Georgians to leave the country
in recent years but promised that nevertheless all Georgians living
abroad would be entitled to Georgian citizenship. The following is
the text of Saakashvili’s speech broadcast by Georgian TV station
Rustavi-2 on 26 May. Subheadings inserted editorially:
[Saakashvili] My fellow citizens, my fellow-fighters, soldiers of
our nation. Four months ago, we presented ourselves to our nation for
the first time and we took the oath that we would reclaim Georgia. We
pledged that we would reclaim Georgia and replace the years of
disappointment and alienation by a new feeling of hope and unity.
We asked you to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in order to restore
legality and decency and create state institutions. On the day of
my inauguration, I pledged that we would accomplish the hopes of
our ancestors, the hopes of heroes who sacrificed their lives for
the freedom of Georgia – today we are looking at the memorial of the
300 Aragvians – , the hopes of these and other heroes of Georgia. We
pledged that we would start the process of the unification of our
great nation.
Georgia on “right track”
At that time, we asked you to trust us and to believe in better common
future for us all. Today all of us can see that our belief has already
produced the first results. Four months ago, there were more sceptics
than believers, both here and abroad. Pessimists predicted that we
would break our necks at the very first attempt. They were talking
about an inevitable and rapid defeat. They did not think that anything
could be fixed in Georgia. And yet, we are now standing before you,
and it is impossible to deny this: Georgia is on the right track
today. Our people are gathering new strength today. Our belief is not
only not diminishing, our belief is getting stronger. Our belief is
now based on concrete results.
Today Georgia has a chance, as never before, to become the great
state it once was. Georgia may become a state in which our children
will be proud of their ancestry, their citizenship, their passports
and a state which will be the object of the respect and admiration
of its neighbours. We can already see the first signs that such a
state is being established here.
We started a real war against corruption and we have already won the
first battles in this war. Untouchable people no longer exist at any
level of the Georgian government. We have disarmed and neutralized
several armed gangs. We have made serious progress in the formation of
our armed forces. I want to say that today, as never before, trust in
our armed forces is increasing. Here, together with us, is a resident
of Tbilisi, Roland Nebieridze, who has five sons of draft age. Until
now, none of them wanted to serve in the army because they did not
trust the state. But now Batoni [Georgian polite form of referring
to a man] has decided to send all five of his sons to the Georgian
army. I call on all of us to greet them, here they are. [Applause]
Relations with other countries
We have achieved real and serious successes in the international arena.
Georgia’s severely damaged reputation has been fully restored. Georgia
is a popular country all over the world, as never before in its
history.
We have established close relations with the United States of America
and we remain its military ally in the fight against international
terrorism. We have made a decision that our contingent in Iraq will
be increased threefold. We should support our soldiers who will be
going there voluntarily, so that we stand by our allies.
We have significantly improved our relations with Russia. We have
started a new phase of cooperation with Turkey, Azerbaijan and
Armenia. For the first time, Georgia is referred to as a serious
candidate for joining the European Union.
“Reclaiming Georgia”
What do I mean when I say that we should reclaim Georgia? We mean that
all the changes should become irreversible. We mean that every Georgian
family should feel the benefits of these changes. Who should reclaim
Georgia? The answer to this question is in each of us. Reclaiming
Georgia is the common task and common responsibility of every Georgian
child and citizen. Reclaiming Georgia is the essence and purpose
of all our lives. Reclaiming Georgia means its reunification. We
have already made the first big step in this direction in Ajaria.
Ajaria and Batumi [capital of Ajaria] are free today, and this is the
accomplishment of every Ajarian, every Georgian who did not give up,
who believed and who had faith in our freedom and our unification.
When we are talking about Georgia’s reunification, we should return
to the main foundation of the Georgian nation – when two of our great
rulers came to believe that in unity lies strength, when two great
kings [of Georgia], Parnavaz and Kuji, stood together, and united
Georgia. Georgia was created when leaders of its various regions put
[the interests of] Georgia above their own interests. They sacrificed
their egoistic interests and their own desire for power in order
to create a strong and permanent unity in a peaceful way. In unity
lies strength.
Unlike an absolute majority of other countries, Georgia was not formed
through conquest and the use of force. In reality, our nation, our
unity and our culture are the result of human solidarity, harmony,
tolerance and diversity among the natives of this land and their unique
talents. Today, on our Independence Day, I again wish to draw on the
wisdom of our ancestors. It is precisely by showing our respect for
their principles of tolerance, brotherly love, self-sacrifice and
human dignity that we shall reunite Georgia.
Appeal to South Ossetia, Abkhazia
I wish to confirm that neither Georgia nor its president will ever
accept a fragmented Georgia. Until my last breath, I will not put
up with a fragmented Georgia. That is why we offer our Abkhaz and
Ossetian brothers to start immediate talks on the restoration of a
single state. We are prepared to consider any state model that takes
into account their interests and ensures their future development.
I wish to address our Ossetian brothers, confirm my most profound
respect for them and promise them that the Georgian state will always
consider their interests, the interests of every Ossetian living in
Georgia. I wish to address them – I am the first president of Georgia
to do it – in their native Ossetian language. Its state language
status will be guaranteed by the Georgian state, which will also create
guarantees for its development and protection. These guarantees will
be created for every inhabitant of Georgia, including every Ossetian
living in Georgia. [says several phrases in Ossetian]
I also wish to address the Abkhaz and again offer them to start talks
on federal relations and broad guarantees, including international
ones, for their autonomy. We offer a hand of friendship to the
Abkhaz people, and I can now repeat it in Abkhaz. [says one sentence
in Abkhaz]
I wish to appeal to the entire Georgian nation to be tolerant. We
should be able to see not only others’ but also our own mistakes. We
should be able to offer a hand to anyone who seeks friendship. Let
us be tolerant but at the same time let us never again show our backs
to the enemy, let us never again succumb to those who want to divide
Georgia. [applause] There is no force in the world that can defeat a
nation that wants to unite and fight for its motherland. We should
all stand united, so that no-one will ever be able to intimidate us
again, no-one will ever be able to sow doubts in our minds, no-one
will ever be able to keep us in a permanent state of mourning,
suffering and despondency.
Appeal to diaspora
When we speak about Georgian reunification, we should remember that one
in five citizens of Georgia have left their motherland. These people
were forced to flee by hardship, war, devastation and an unpromising
future. The children of these people, who were born after they left,
have never seen their motherland. Their return and the restoration of
links with their motherland is one of our main and urgent historical
tasks. The Constitution of Georgia gives the president of Georgia the
power to grant Georgian citizenship to citizens of foreign countries
proceeding from and based on Georgia’s national interest. I appeal to
our compatriots dispersed around the world, our flesh and blood. Guided
by Georgia’s interest, I have decided to grant Georgian citizenship
to all Georgians living abroad regardless of their citizenship if
they wish to have it and if they apply to us.
We should all join together to reclaim our country. We should all
return to our country, our Georgia. We should make sure that our
children, our offspring return to Georgia. We should all join together
to help our country get up on its feet and together deal with the
challenges of the modern world.
We have gone through a lot of suffering and torture. The main cause
of that suffering was our alienation from each other. I ask you to
unite because we are well aware of how much we can achieve by being
united. We have enough perseverance, culture and intellect to change
our everyday behaviour for the better, which will allow us not only to
change our own lives through daily work but also transform Georgia and
our way of life to a genuinely European state and genuinely European
way of life. In order to find the strength to attain our cherished
goals through daily work, we should realize that this strength lies
in each of us and in our unique features that have saved us over the
centuries and helped us survive to this day.
We, together with the government, with our authorities, promise to
discharge our duties honestly, with dignity and with due respect
for every person. At the same time, we ask you to support each other
and support all our good initiatives. Let every person be involved
in the titanic work that will lead us to success. Georgia should be
built up by the Georgians, by every single citizen. The government,
the president or our army alone will not be able to build up
Georgia. Georgia is to be built up by each of us, every citizen, every
genuine patriot and everyone who loves their motherland. May God give
us the perseverance and wisdom to do this. May St George lead us to new
victories. I congratulate you on Georgian Independence Day. [applause]

Breakaway region’s PM rejects Georgian leader’s single-state proposal
Interfax-AVN military news agency web site, Moscow
26 May 04
Sukhumi, 26 May: Abkhaz Prime Minister Raul Khajimba has rejected a
proposal from Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to unite in a
single Georgian state. The Georgian president made this proposal to
the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and [South] Ossetia.
“There can be no discussion of unification between Abkhazia and
Georgia in a single state,” Khajimba told Interfax on Wednesday [26
May]. “Abkhazia has finally established its status. The republic has
adopted the constitution of an independent state and the status of
Abkhazia cannot and will not be subject to discussion,” the Abkhaz
prime minister said. “As regards the wishes of the Georgian side,
wishes do not always correspond to reality,” Khajimba said.

Georgian PM criticizes Russian governor’s “foolish escapade” in Abkhazia
Kavkasia-Press news agency
26 May 04
Tbilisi, 26 May: Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania has commented on
[Russian] Krasnodar Territory governor Aleksandr Tkachev’s recent visit
to Sukhumi [capital of breakaway region of Abkhazia] and Tkachev’s
statements about the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict.
Zhvania said he did not regard this as a manifestation of the Kremlin’s
policy [Cossack delegation led by Tkachev visited Sukhumi on 22 May].
“This was a foolish and irresponsible escapade. This may only bring
us back to the ambiguous relations of the previous decade,” the prime
minister said.
“We have no desire to return to the past. We want to see a new,
pragmatic Russia. We want to respect Russia’s interests in the region
and we hope that our sovereign interests will also be respected,”
he noted.
“We will never understand these kinds of hysterical escapades. If
Georgia’s and Russia’s policies are defined by this sort of gestures
and by such people, the Caucasus will once again be divided by many
lines of confrontation, while we wish to turn the Caucasus into
an arena of cooperation. These people do not want to help Russia to
resolve its problems and to increase Russia’s international authority,”
Zhvania said.

Georgian navy ready for “any combat mission” in Black Sea – president
Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
26 May 04
[Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, addressing military parade
in Ajarian capital Batumi] Greetings to all of you. I extend my
greetings to our heroic Ajarians, people who endured a great fight,
people who are now standing here in this pouring rain in order to
prove, once again, their love for their motherland.
The whole world was applauding Ajaria. The whole world admired the
heroism of every Ajarian.
I wish to tell you that my main task is not to fail your hopes, my
dear Ajarians. I believe that Ajaria’s revival and the wellbeing of
every Ajarian family will certainly cause a chain reaction and the
same processes will develop throughout Georgia. [Passage omitted]
Our armed forces will protect Ajaria and the rest of Georgia. We will
win without fail. Our armed forces and the navy have enough force
today to perform any combat mission along our coast on the Black Sea.
We are not going to wage wars in [world] oceans. Our arena is here,
the Black Sea. Our arena and target is Abkhazia. Our target is to
protect our territory. Our target is that all enemies should know: We
want peace, but we will always render an appropriate response to the
[threat of] disintegration of Georgia. We want to hold negotiations
with everyone, we want a peaceful resolution of issues, but our
response to an enemy attack will always be very strong.
Thank you very much for your heroism and your strength.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS OFFICE
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; [email protected] Website;
Bishop Galstanian meets the Mayor of Vancouver
On May 25, Bishop Galstanyan the Primate of the Armenian Apostolic
Church of Canada met with the Mayor of Vancouver, Mr. Larry Campbell
in Vancouver’s City Hall.
Mr. Campbell has had a remarkable career in public service. First as
an RCMP officer, then as the city’s Chief Coroner. The popular CBC
TV show, Da Vinci’s Inquest is loosely based on that time in his life.
The Mayor recalled the Armenian classmates he befriended during his
youth in Brantford, Ontario. His Grace and the Mayor also had a frank
discussion on the innovative yet controversial approaches the city
has taken to combat Vancouver East Side’s drug abuse problems.
Bishop Galstanian was accompanied by Fr. Keghart Garabedian, Pastor
of St. Vartan Armenian Church, Fr Hairig Hovhannessian, guest priest
from the Diocese, Parish Council member Mr. Arto Tavoukchian and
community member Ms. Rosin Tokatlian.
The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts. The Mayor stating that
there should be more Armenians in Vancouver, jokingly offering anyone
from Montreal and Toronto accommodations if they chose to move to
his beautiful city.
Bishop Bagrat Galstanian in Vancouver
On Friday, May 21 2004 His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian arrived
in Vancouver, British Columbia where the 21st Diocesan Annual Assembly
will be held on the weekend of May 28-30.
This Assembly is of particular significance since it marks the 20th
anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese. The Pontifical Letter
of Blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians,
will be read in the first session of the Assembly as well as the
Words of Greeting of Premier of British Columbia, Honorable Gordon
Campbell and the Mayor of Vancouver Larry Campbell. The second session
of the Assembly will deliberate on re-organizational issues within
the Diocese and the third session will discuss new projects in Canada
and in Armenia.
On the 22nd of May, 2004 Bishop Galstanian met with representatives
of Vancouver Armenian community. During the cordial meeting,
discussions were focused on the future of St. Vartan Armenian
Church, the reorganization of the Vancouver Armenian community and
strengthening of relations between the Parish of Saint Vartan Armenian
Church and the Diocese of Canada. His Eminence expressed his joy and
praised the members of Vancouver Armenian community whose efforts and
contributions are aimed at restructuring a new and dynamic Armenian
Community in Vancouver.
We are delighted to announce that during the gathering, community
members and families responded positively to the appeal of His Eminence
and made generous donations that amount to 52.000 (fifty two thousand
Canadian dollars) to be allocated towards closing of the mortgage
of Saint Vartan Armenian Church. This is the first phase of a plan
designed by His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian to reorganize the
Vancouver Armenian community. A similar meeting is scheduled to be
held on the 19th of June, 2004.
The 30th of May 2004 will mark the first anniversary of the election
of His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian. Since his election as
Primate Bishop Galstanian has given special attention to spiritual
revival and to reorganization of the Diocesan structures towards the
strengthening of Parishes all across Canada.
DIVAN OF THE DIOCESE

President to Grant Dual Citizenship to Georgians Living Abroad
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 2004-05-26 13:25:33
President Saakashvili said on May 26 that he will issue a special
decree on granting dual citizenship to those Georgians, who currently
live abroad.
“Under the Constitution of Georgia, I have the right to grant dual
citizenship. So, each Georgian, who currently lives abroad, will have
a possibility to receive dual citizenship,” President Saakashvili
said at a military parade on May 26.
He said, the authorities should implement relevant measures to ensure
that Georgian emigres return to their native country.

EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION
for Justice and Democracy
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
B – 1000 BRUXELLES
Tel./Fax : +32 (0) 2 732 70 27
E-mail : [email protected]
Web :
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
May 27th, 2004
Contact: Talline Tachdjian
Tel.: +32 (0)2 732 70 27
NORWEGIAN CITY OF KRAGERØ HONOURS BODIL BIØRN, UNSUNG HERO AND RELIEF WORKER
DURING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Brussels, Belgium – On the initiative of the Armenian community of
Aleppo, Syria, the Norwegian city of Kragerø (11000 inhabitants)
has erected a statue honoring Bodil Catharina Biørn, who spent 30
years of her life providing relief to the Armenians of Turkey before,
during and after the Armenian Genocide. The statue will be unveiled
on Saturday, May 29.
After studying nursing in Germany, Bodil Biørn, the daughter of
a wealthy ship owner, left her native Kragerø in 1905 to go to
Turkey. There, as part of benevolent evangelical missions, she provided
aid to the Christian populations, and especially to the Armenians,
who endured oppression under the Ottomans and who were regularly
victims of extortion.
Stationed in various regions of the Ottoman Empire (e.g., Van,
Cilicia), Bodil Biørn was in Mush in 1915 when the Genocide began. She
poured her energy into providing assistance to survivors there and
later in Armenia, during the First Republic (1918-1920).
After the Sovietization of Armenia, she continued her philathropical
work in the Armenian orphanages of Syria and Lebanon, where she
adopted an orphan she named Fridjof. She finally left the region to
return to her country in 1936.
The commemorative events in Kragerø are scheduled as follows:
o Saturday, May 29th
12.00 – Exhibition “The Ships Owner’s Daughter” in the Kragerø Museum
12.30 – Address by Jussi Flemming Biørn, son of Fridjof, “Bodil Catharina
Biørn, Philanthropist and Missionary”
14.00 – Unveiling of Bodil Biørn statue, in front of the town hall
16.30 – Showing of the movie « Ararat ».
o Sunday, May 30th
11.00 – Requiem service in memory of Bodil Biørn and the victims of the
Armenian Genocide.
“It is a moral duty for Armenians to pay homage to the many honorable,
just people, often women, often Scandinavians, who provided relief
to the victims of the barbarity committed by the Young Turks. With
this commemoration, Bodil Biørn finally emerges from anonymity and
takes her place beside Maria Jacobsen, Karen Jeppe, Alma Johansson or
Amalia Lange, her sisters in compassion,” declared Laurent Leylekian,
executive director of the European Armenian Federation.
“In these times of questioning about Europe’s borders, we are here to
testify that Europe is foremost a matter of values and identity. In
this regard, Norway, which is not a member of the Union is undeniably
part of our European family. This is not the case of Turkey, however,
which has a long and enduring record of fascism,” concluded Leylekian.
#####

GEORGIAN PRESIDENT SAYS STRONGER ECONOMY KEY TO REGAINING ABKHAZIA
Georgian State Television Channel 1, Tbilisi
25 May 04
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has said that “the path of
return to Abkhazia lies through the Georgian economy”. Speaking at a
news briefing in Tbilisi on the evening of 25 May, Saakashvili spoke
about the achievements of his government over the past few months and
said that he intended to increase the size of the Georgian armed forces
to 15,000-16,000 within the next two years. The president noted that
Georgia expected to receive gratis assistance of 1bn lari from the
United States over the next three years to rebuild the country’s key
infrastructure. He also touched on his warm relationship with Russian
President Vladimir Putin. The following is an excerpt from the news
briefing which was broadcast live by the Georgian State Television
on 25 May, with subheadings inserted editorially:
Georgia has achieved a lot since presidential election
(Saakashvili, addressing news briefing) Greetings to all of
you. Tomorrow Georgia will mark its main state holiday, 26 May, the
day of Georgia’s national independence. On such a day, heads of all
countries are supposed to sum up the period since the last celebration
and speak about certain directions (of future activities).
I will deliver a speech tomorrow at the Independence Day parade, and
I will speak about general direction of our country’s development. But
before that, together with our journalists, we will try to analyse what
has happened in Georgia during the past few months. I will briefly
touch on the main issues which we have managed to resolve during the
past four months since I started exercising presidential powers.
Georgia’s main achievement, which was watched with excitement
by the entire world, is that we have demonstrated the highest
level of culture, the highest level of statesmanlike and human
awareness. Nations that are wealthier and more developed than we are
have not reached this level. We have managed to change authorities
peacefully, twice, without bloodshed, without killing people,
without robberies and marauding. It was almost impossible because,
when this sort of change happens even in a very developed country,
it is usually accompanied by negative processes.
In these four months – five months, we have managed to hold
two elections at a level that no-one has ever held in the entire
post-Soviet area except for the Baltic republics. All international
organizations said that these two elections – presidential and
parliamentary elections – were European-level elections. (Passage
omitted)
During the same period, we have managed to give the Georgian army
a look that is now more like a real army. We will see this at
tomorrow’s parade. We have seen this during the past few months in
(the Ajarian capital) Batumi, where more than 2,000 soldiers have
been patrolling the streets of Batumi, for the last month, without any
serious violation of the law. Armies of much more developed countries
are not able to do this. Television reports are full of examples of
armies misusing their powers, but the Georgian army is able to behave
decently. This is very important. (Passage omitted)
We have also managed to change state symbols. (Points to the Georgian
flag) This is a very beautiful flag, maybe the most beautiful flag
in the world, you should agree with me, this is certainly so. The
Georgian people love it, and foreigners also like it very much. Our
anthem is a very beautiful anthem, maybe one of the best anthems in
Europe. As regards the state emblem, discussions still continue. It
will be demonstrated at tomorrow’s parade as a preliminary draft. Of
course, this emblem is based on our historical traditions, and the
parliament will approve it.
Finally, the main achievement of these months is that we have managed
to start
the process of Georgia’s unification. This has been achieved by
combined
efforts. This has been achieved by the fact that the state is stronger,
that there is a positive dynamic, that our armed forces are more like
real armed forces, that our intelligence and security services have
been working successfully. But the main agent, the main author of
this success, was our people.
The significance of this event is not limited to Georgia. No-one
expected that this kind of conflict in the post-Soviet area could
be resolved at all, let alone resolved peacefully. In spite of bad
forecasts, including forecasts made by Georgians (changes tack) –
I have read many dreadful scenarios. They were saying that the first
president (Gamsakhurdia) lost Tskhinvali (capital of breakaway South
Ossetia), the second president (Shevardnadze) lost Abkhazia, and this
one is losing Ajaria. But we have managed to prove to everyone that
we are different people, that we are different government. In this
respect, this event is of world-wide importance, and it was presented
as such by the world media.
This is an analysis of the past few months. I will now briefly touch
on our plans and then answer your questions.
Strong economy key to regaining Abkhazia
The first and most important issue is the economy. I want to say
that many people – when I am meeting (ethnic Georgian) refugees –
are asking now: when will we return to Abkhazia? When will you
return us to Abkhazia? The path of return to Abkhazia lies through
the Georgian economy. The Georgian economy is created not by the
Georgian government. We can help you, each of you, in creating the
economy. Let us create the economy all together. We will no longer
steal money from you, we will no longer rob you, we will no longer
obstruct you. On the contrary, we will assist you in every way. We
will not allow police to extort money from you, we will not allow
some bureaucrats to harass you, we will not allow anyone to stop you
at customs posts. We are doing our best to establish relations with
other countries and gain export markets. But everything else should
be done by you, our citizens, all together.
My ideology, my concept is that Georgia, the Georgian state should
be created by the Georgian people. This is the main thing. I will
never tell you that I will resolve all your problems, because this is
impossible. We can create a better tax system, a better framework,
but everything else should be done by us. The path of return to
Abkhazia lies through the economy and the revival of the economy.
USA to provide economic assistance
Also, our main task now is to develop infrastructure. We should
mobilize domestic resources. Also, from the United States of America
we are receiving (changes tack) – we have been included in the list
of 16 countries. There are more than 200 countries in the world, and
16 of them have been recognized as the most dynamically developing
countries, and we are one of them. So, we have a chance of receiving an
extra 1bn lari in aid gratis, over a three-year period. This is not
about debts or credits, this is the money simply given as a present.
We should spend this money on roads and power lines, we should spend
this money on things which constitute the country, which create its
main framework.
We also need to accomplish many other tasks. We need rapid reforms in
education, we need social reforms, including pension reform. No matter
how much the state increases salaries (changes tack) – they cannot be
increased significantly unless the pension system is changed. There
are a number of other issues about which I spoke at length at my
meeting with businessmen yesterday.
In short, I want to say one thing: For the first time in many years,
there is a positive dynamic in Georgia. Georgia begins to look like
a state. The people have a feeling of optimism, the people have a
feeling of positive movement. All of us, including our friends
abroad, now hope that Georgia can get back to its feet. Georgia
has strengthened its sovereignty. We now have borders, we are
controlling out territories, we have the most important attributes
of statehood. Now the main thing is not to stop and, gradually,
to turn all of this into benefits for each Georgian family and into
reunification of Georgia. This is our main task.
Now I will be pleased to answer your questions. Rustavi-2, then you,
and then you.
Georgian army to double in size within two years
(Reporter) Rustavi-2 TV company. Mr President, you have already said
that you are going to make a statement about Abkhazia tomorrow, on
26 May. What should we expect? Will you speak about some concrete
plan? Also, some 8,000 soldiers will take part in tomorrow’s
parade. (Passage omitted: words indistinct) Who is the addressee of
this parade?
(Saakashvili) The first thing which we want to demonstrate is that
the state is being created and that no-one can disregard us any
longer. We will demonstrate this equipment (changes tack) – when I
became the president, I was told that eight tanks were operational in
Georgia at that time, and even those eight tanks were not getting
fuel for years. There were two or three operational (military)
aircraft that were flying only when the airliner of my predecessor
(President Shevardnadze) took off from Tbilisi airport, but there
was no combat training. The Georgian army had seven helicopters.
Today we have about 100 pieces of heavy equipment, more than 20
military helicopters and seven aircraft which perform flights on a
permanent basis. We now have combat helicopters. By the end of this
year, we will have several more pieces of combat equipment of this
kind. The army started training, and the people who will take part
in the parade are well-trained people. (Passage omitted)
So, we are bringing these people out in order to demonstrate the
strength of our army. We need to double these forces. My task is to
double the armed forces within the next two years. Not on paper,
like it was in the past when those liars in the defence ministry
had 25,000-30,000 soldiers on their books while there were only
1,500 soldiers in reality. We will really have 15,000-16,000 very
well-trained soldiers who will constitute the best armed force in
the region. I will need two years for this.
Now, people are coming to us and asking: Give us salary of pension
arrears accumulated three or four years ago, the money which
Shevardnadze and his people have stolen. I, as the president, face
this choice: We should either spend all the money only on repayment of
social arrears (changes tack) – I understand this very well, poverty is
my main enemy, and I will do everything to eradicate poverty. However,
on the other hand, if we do this, we will never have an army. We need
the army as well as we need to assist people in need, and we also
need roads and electricity transmission lines. We need all of these.
Therefore, the army is one of the main priorities. (Passage omitted)
As regards Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia),
our Ossetian fellow citizens and Abkhaz fellow citizens, we will of
course speak about this issue tomorrow. You will see this. However,
when we are asking – when will the refugees return to Abkhazia? –
this may happen tomorrow or this may happen in 20 years, depending
on how much effort we put into this. I think that this will happen
within the term of my presidency. This is the main goal of my life.
But I will not be able to achieve this unless everyone stands by
me. We should have debates, someone may dislike something I have done,
but we should stand shoulder-to-shoulder with respect to the main
issue. And this (return) will happen much earlier than everyone could
expect, earlier than foreigners and our citizens think. But I need
support of every Georgian and every citizen – Azerbaijani, Armenian,
Abkhaz and Ossetian citizen. We will achieve this by our rational
policy, and this will need a strong economy. This is the main thing.
(Passage omitted)
“A new kind of Russia’s policy”
(Unidentified reporter) (Passage omitted: words indistinct) The
prime minister (Zurab Zhvania) has said that the authorities have
already developed a draft granting unprecedented political autonomy
to Abkhazia.
(Saakashvili) We have never made it secret that we are ready for
federation-type relations, for an asymmetric federation. However, we
will not create a federation which will disintegrate Georgia. The
slogans that there should be this sort of relations in Ajaria
(changes tack) – you know that we are going to preserve autonomy there
(changes tack) – or that Georgia’s regionalization should reach the
point when the central authorities would have no levers left at all –
no-one should expect to see this while I am the president.
However, we are going to have talks. Well, if I tell you that there
were some negotiations in Russia (changes tack) – for the time being,
negotiations with Russia on this topic have been progressing with
difficulty. As regards Ajaria, Russia demonstrated its goodwill
and played a positive role, but I should tell you that there was no
(preliminary) agreement there. The scenario was ours, not some scenario
agreed in advance. Perhaps some people in some countries had different
plans, but the situation turned out not as they wanted. However,
in the end, Russia certainly played a significant and positive
role. They provided an aircraft to that man (deposed Ajarian leader
Aslan Abashidze), which was good, and they were judicious enough not
to allow their military base (in Ajaria) to interfere.
We want a kind of cooperation with Russia which, on the one hand, will
enable us to join our efforts in the fight against terrorism. I have
established very warm and normal relations with President Putin. The
basis of these relations is that he is not demanding from me something
I cannot give, he is delicate enough. I also understand that Russia
has its own interests, not only interests at our expense, these are
different things.
Negotiations in Moscow about restructuring (Georgia’s) debts to Russia
were quite difficult too. Fortunately, a compromise has been achieved
today. Initially, their conditions were the same as those accepted in
the past by Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and other former Soviet republics. We
did not agree on these conditions of debt restructuring. We said
that they were not fair. So, after many weeks of negotiations,
(Finance Minister Zurab) Noghaideli yesterday and (Prime Minister
Zurab) Zhvania today finally confirmed that a compromise has been
reached. This is a new kind of Russia’s policy. Of course, we have a
long way to go, but Russia knows the main thing: that we will not give
up our state interests, but we will use maximally flexible approach
in order to create comfortable situation for Russia, so that Russia
faces no threats from the territory of Georgia. Russia should not
have a feeling that we are a hostile state. It is Russia’s right to
demand this. However, on the other hand, we should also feel that
things done by Russia in the past will never happen in Georgia again.
As regards agreements on Abkhazia, I think that, first of all,
this should be a subject of bilateral agreements between us and the
Abkhaz. After that, Russia can play a certain role. In this respect,
we have a lot of work to do. Generally, I think that the process is
developing positively. Let us see what happens. We have completely
different relations now, and let us hope that (changes tack) – a large
group of Russian businessmen will arrive here. It makes no difference
where capital comes from. The main thing is that our people should
be employed and our people should be rich. (Passage omitted)