Saakashvili Says Economy the Only Priority for Now

President Saakashvili said on March 7 that the government’s only priority right now was to avert collapse of the economy and added that the goal would be accomplished in case of political stability.

“You know that the Armenia’s economy has crashed completely; why? Because Armenia has been totally depended on the Russian market; the Russian market has collapsed and the Armenia’s economy has collapsed too. We are in the region where economies are experiencing difficulties; but Georgia will sustain, Georgia will survive even in the light of difficulties, in case of political stable situation,” he said.

He said that Russia had “kicked out” Georgia from its market three years ago, but because of reforms the Georgian economy became resilient.

“We know that people live in hardship; we should not allow the worst thing to happen – the collapse economy and it will not happen, because everything will proceed due to our plan,” he added.

Saakashvili was speaking at an opening of a new hotel in Tskneti, outskirts of Tbilisi, which is owned by Russian-based Georgian businessman, Tornike Kopaleishvili, an owner of network of restaurants in Moscow. Saakashvili called Kopaleishvili “a real patriot” for continuing investing in Georgia despite global economic crisis and despite of the August war.

“The Georgian government simply has no other job rather than to assist and stand beside this kind of people,” Saakashvili said. “If everything goes in line of our plan, we will be able to resolve all the other problems as well.”

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