Tbilisi Mayor says capital city has always been, remains “symbol” of Georgia’s historic mission

At an official event introducing the majoritarian candidates for Tbilisi City Assembly ahead of the upcoming local elections, Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said the capital city of Tbilisi had always been a symbol of Georgia’s historic mission and its development was constantly accompanied by many difficulties and challenges, which required continuous effort and hard work to overcome.

In his address, Kaladze noted that to serve Tbilisi meant to serve a city that was the centre of Georgian culture, its history, and religion and Tbilisi was a mirror of Georgian identity.

“Eight years ago, when I was preparing to take responsibility for managing the capital city, my team and I had not only ambitious goals to transform and revive Tbilisi but also a concrete, research-based plan and vision to accomplish this mission. However, I must admit that the problems and challenges turned out to be much greater than we initially expected. There were no transportation or urban planning documents. Problems caused by chaotic development posed a great threat to Tbilisi. The city’s infrastructure was in very poor condition, parks and squares, as well as sports grounds, needed to be restored. I won’t list all the problems that reflected the reality of eight years ago”, he noted.

Kaladze highlighted the role of majoritarian deputies in solving the city’s problems and maintaining constant communication with the population and thanked them for their work.

“The most important thing we started from the very first days was talking to the people, daily meetings in every district of Tbilisi, with residents of every neighborhood, learning about their problems. Getting to know all the challenges that concerned each of us”, he continued.

“In all this, the major contribution was made by the majoritarian deputies of the Tbilisi City Assembly. They are the people who bring each citizen’s and each family’s problems to us, and together we begin taking measures to resolve them. The assembly’s majoritarian deputies have become supporters, friends, and relatives for Tbilisi residents”, Kaladze noted.

He also thanked majoritarian deputies of the City Assembly and the entire Assembly for the effort they have put in over the past years.

“Thanks to them, today we have our finger on the pulse of Tbilisi and know exactly what our city and fellow citizens need. Their contribution is great in the fact that we have great trust and support from the population, which motivates us to do more for every neighborhood and for the worthy future of Tbilisi”, Kaladze said.

“Peace to Georgia, more goodness to Tbilisi! This means more recreational spaces in Tbilisi, more renovated neighborhoods with rehabilitated streets, squares, and parks, more new kindergartens, more infrastructure, more accessible services, many more programs for the welfare of Tbilisi residents in healthcare, social affairs, culture, sports, youth, and other areas. All this requires a strong team of professionals who are supporters of Tbilisi in the City Assembly”, he concluded.