President visits Ganmukhuri

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili visited the village of Ganmukhuri late on Sunday to view the reconstruction works going on there. This village, on the Black Sea coast close to the Abkhaz administrative border, was occupied by Russian troops in August last year. Russian soldiers left Ganmukhuri badly damaged, the wooden houses of the patriot camp for young people there having been burnt down.

Speaking to locals and holiday makers in Ganmukhuri, the President said that the Government is planning to turn the village into one of the best resorts on the Black Sea in a couple of years. “We started building Ganmukhuri last year, however the Russians came and incinerated everything. A lot of discussions were going on in Tbilisi about whether to let holidaymakers come here this year or not. I decided that we should reconstruct this resort because it is unique,” the President said, adding that “There is half the rainfall here there is in Adjara or Abkhazia. We should not abandon this resort for anyone’s sake.”

Saakashvili inspected the wall constructed by Russian and Abkhaz troops. “Everyone can see that on this side of the wall there is light, Georgians deciding for themselves how to live. On the other side, where Russians rule, is darkness. The ones who like that darkness should look carefully and see what is happening on the other side,” he stated.

As the construction continues, some shootings are still being reported at the administrative border. The Georgian Interior Ministry said on August 28 that the Georgian police checkpoint in the village of Ganmukhuri had come under fire from the Abkhaz side. However the de facto Abkhaz authorities denied any link with the shooting, saying that the incident happened while Georgian policemen were conducting an operation in the Zugdidi region.

“Although there were shootings several days ago, these people are building here something better than you can find in Ibiza or Monaco,” the President said. “Some people should think twice before stating that Europe should teach us. Our people have more talent, and can do more interesting things, than those of many of the richer nations, this is the reality,” he noted.