On September 21, 2007 in Kutaisi, at the Imereti Region Administration building was held the field Meeting of the Government of Georgia. The agenda consisted of 5 items.
The meeting was attended by the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia, Kutaisi majority deputy Nino Burjanadze. Before the beginning of the Government Meeting the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili congratulated the winner of world cup in judo I. Tsirekidze and awarded him with the Honor Order.
Before discussion of items on the agenda of the Meeting of the Government of Georgia of September 21 the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili asked the interior minister Ivane Merabishvili to inform the Government members about the measures implemented for elimination of subversive act in Upper Abkhazia on September 20.
The interior minister of Georgia Ivane Merabishvili informed those attended that on September 20 in Upper Abkhazia on the area adjacent to the new road under construction was observed an armed subversive group which performed reconnaissance activity at the strategically significant area (it is the area where the route of flight of Georgian aircraft passes). As a result of the taken measures the area was blocked and after the pursuit the activity of the Abkhazian subversive- reconnaissance group was eradicated. As a result of the conducted operation two commandos were killed, two wounded, seven ones were arrested. They are staying in the jail and investigation is in progress. It is established that it was the special commandos group of the Abkhazian security service. The members of this group who before their smuggling to the territory of Upper Abkhazia were deprived of identity cards are master sergeants, contract soldiers and privates. They were armed with hand mortars, machine guns and automatic guns. The chief of group died. This aggressive incident is one more evidence that the de-facto government of Abkhasia makes its efforts not to allow rehabilitation operations in the Upper Abkhazia as its representatives have mentioned not once, said the interior minister of Georgia in the end of his information.
The Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili thanked the special services of Georgia as a result of urgent and correct activity of which was eradicated the activity of the Abkhazian subversive- reconnaissance group in Upper Abkhazia. He underlined that such well-cooperated and correct activity of our special services is not the first one and such successful acts of our forces shall finally deprive the wish of provocations against the Georgian authorities and people from ill-wishers. I think, stated the Georgian President, that our ill-wishers for their own narrow-mindedness cannot understand that we are not such a country with which such cheap games are possible. We have serious intentions and are well prepared and motived to defend our country and to create such security system which will provide every citizen with the possibility of normal life. We will give adequate response to all those who are willing to transform Georgia into the permanent area of conflicts. We have adequate facilities for this more than necessary. Georgia will not allow the launching of the full-scale conflict. At the same time the state authorities of the country are ready to respond to any provocation. Don't paly with us and don't joke with us. Otherwise you will get serious problems and I would not advise anybody to move on this way as this way will bring you to the same end as the movement of the Sukhumi commandos trained by foreign specialists to Upper Abkhazia.
Georgia is ready for a political dialogue and peaceful decisions. However, nobody shall even try to intimidate Georgia through a terrorist way. We are not a backward country, a country of the third world, stated the Georgian President and ordered to the interior minister to continue the activity in line of protection of the country against provocations of terrorists and saboteurs.
The Prime Minister at the Government Meeting discussed in details the current projects of rehabilitation of water supply systems nationwide. In frames of these projects are planned the operations to be performed and their cost. The Prime Minister stated that at this stage the focus shall be made on some cities (Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi) and smaller towns of recreation importance (Tskaltubo. Kobuleti). The Prime Minister highlighted the estimated operations for improvement of the water supply systems of Kutaisi and Tskaltubo. He stated that from this aspect one of the biggest problems in Georgia is Tskaltubo and in order to solve it the Government of Georgia will implement the project for construction almost anew of the total water supply system.
"Mr. President, in 2007 the operations for supply of the Georgian population with drinking water in all regions entered the critical stage. The total cost of investment projects amounts to 400 million GEL. A great part of the operations will be completed in 2009 and as a result of program implementation the drinking water supply will be significantly improved for 2 million of our citizens, about 800 000 families. The program goal is the rehabilitation of existing water pipelines, construction of new ones. Here, in Kutaisi I would like to highlight the rehabilitation project of Kutaisi water supply system which cost is 30 million GEL and the project of Tskaltubo water supply system which cost is 14 million GEL, Ozurgeti water supply project - 4.5 million GEL, construction of new line of Akhaltsikhe water supply - 3.5 million GEL and rehabilitation of Batumi water pipeline - about 17 million Euro. There are also other, smaller but very important projects: rehabilitation of Telavi water pipeline - 1.2 million GEL and rehabilitation of Kekhvi-Tamarasheni main in Liakhvi Gorge - about one million GEL. As a ersult of implementation of Tbilisi water supply project a great part of works were performed in 2005-2006 and are in progress this year as well. In practice, water supply has become better for the total population of Tbilisi and the tentative investment amounts to 120 million GEL. Rehabilitation of Poti water supply system (population - 42000 persons) is in progress, the cost of project is 24 million GEL.
I would like to drop your attention at Kutaisi water supply. In this second largest Georgian city reside 180000 inhabitants. The project cost amounts to about 30 million GEL, the project will be completed in 2009. Will be rehabilitated three main headworks, restored 13 km water backbone and reservoirs, about 40 km long pipelines will be replaced in the network and the subscribers will be registered in whole. You should see that the main focus is made on cities and such small regions which have the recreation purpose, for example, Tskaltubo water supply. This town has population of 22000 inhabitants. The project cost amounts to about 15 million GEL and will be completed in 2010. In present Georgia, Tskaltubo has got the largest problem of water supply. In fact, its water supply system is to be created anew. This is the program for supply with drinking water which was started in 2006. The program implementation entered the main phase in 2007, consequently, the principal part will be completed in 2009 and the final part - in 2010.
In connection with the water supply problems of Tbilisi the Prime Minister noted that the investment of 400 million USD to be implemented in the nearest future will strongly improve the water supply of the capital city. "As to Tbilisi water supply, here we are in a final phase of the more full-scale investment project the discussion on which will be finished this Saturday or Sunday. The amount of investment is 120 million GEL which have been practically allocated form the state funds for Tbilisi water supply system. In addition will be implemented some 400 million USD of private investment and, consequently, Tbilisi water supply will be strongly improved."
Press Center of the Chancellery of the Government of Georgia