Saakashvili full of hope for Patriotic Camp

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has expressed his hope that Anaklia Patriotic Camp will become the symbol of “high standards” in Georgia, 2 kilometres away from the Russian occupied zone. Praising the renovated site among the young visitors on Tuesday, the President spoke of the significance of Anaklia and described it as a paradise. Disapproving any differences within the country on religious or cultural grounds, the Georgian President welcomed Azeri and Armenian children [along with all other nationalities] who have been spending their time with ethnic Georgians and learning the Georgian language at Anaklia camp. “Georgia’s dream about the unity of multi-ethnic and multi-religious people has been clearly reflected on our National Emblem “Strength is in Unity”- the fact that you are together here is the best answer to the [Russian] occupation,” he stated.

Disapproving the models through which Vladimir Putin and Boris Yeltsin, the former Russian Presidents, had been trying to assert their influence on the post Soviet space, Saakashvili said that Georgia represented a model of development through democracy through which a free and democratic country has shown the way to prosperity to the post Soviet people. Encouraging the youth to stand together and learn from their predecessors' mistakes, the President highlighted that “everything we create here [at Anaklia] will always remain in Georgian history as a symbol of a nation dreaming of freedom all around Georgia.” Stressing he would prefer to be called “the Fountain the First” by his opponents than associate with the cruel governors, the President explained to the children that everything has been done in Anaklia to improve understanding of each other.

Talking of the functions and aims of the Patriotic Camps, Saakashvili named Anaklia's beaches as one of the best summer destinations especially for pupils from average income families who cannot afford the more fashionable resorts. “We still have lots of schools to build in Georgia but lots of you already go to modern schools similar to Sweden or Holland equipped with laboratories and sport halls,” he said stressing the necessity for ensuring health safety for children.

Encouraging the children that they would have an opportunity to “create” their own lives Saakashvili welcomed Georgia’s development and rapid success. Stressing that democracy was a fundamental part of the country, the President invited the children to hold democratic elections by creating a council and turn the patriots’ camps into a school of democracy. “Democracy is not a chaos caused by hundreds of people in the centre of the city aimed at gaining back their posts; democracy starts from your school desks and affects your dignity, creates your personal viewpoints, makes you find similar people and further development in one structural unit aimed at proving your truth to the rest of the society,” the President said, confident that the future generations will be firmly oriented on those values in Georgia.