TV grabs showing (left) Saakashvili in Sarpi, Adjara Autonomous Republic, where he dived, just after skiing (right) in mountainous region of Svaneti on July 19. "After skiing at about 4,000 meters from sea [level], we are now diving - in which country else can one do that?" Saakashvili said.

President Saakashvili said that major development projects in Batumi and other parts of the country was contributing to destruction of "slave mentality", which Russia was planting for years to make Georgians believe that they are losers.

Saakashvili made the remarks while speaking at a ceremony of opening Radisson Blu hotel in Georgia's Black Sea resort of Batumi on July 20.
 
"Today is a historic day for this city and a very important day for Georgia's most important sector - tourism." he said. "Not only an architectural masterpiece is being opened here, but, what is the most important, something that will really turn into a symbol of Georgia's success, Georgia's development and Georgia's better future."

He said the new Radisson hotel in Batumi would be followed by other international brands like Holiday Inn, Kempinski, Novotel, Hilton, Conrad, Ritz-Carlton and others.

"I am saying this for those, who do not believe, that it is possible to do it in Georgia and for those who do not believe, that Georgia is really a special country," he said.

Saakashvili said that skeptics, who do not believe that it would be possible to turn Batumi or other places in Georgia into European standard resorts, "are classical archetypes of a slave created by Russia in Georgia."

Saakashvili said that this "slave mentality", involving a wrong notion as if Georgians "are the most retarded and losers" was "planted into our brains" for hundreds of years by Russia. He said construction and major facelift process ongoing in Georgia was now destroying this mentality.

"By the way I was in Nice [France] few days ago for a business meeting and I want to tell you, that even already today Batumi with number of components - public spaces, cultural centers, green space... is better then Nice and in two-three years it [Batumi] will be better than Nice and Cannes with all the other parameters too," Saakashvili said.

He said that population in Batumi would increase to 200,000 by early next year and to 500,000 by 2015. Currently about 124,000 people live in Batumi, according to the state statistics office.

"My goal is to make all these developments irreversible," Saakashvili said.  

"The country, whose territory's 20% is occupied, the country which is threatened every day... has turned into an example of the most dynamic development and reforms in the world. It happens because the government is not stealing, not a single minister, thier deputies or gamgebeli [head of the provincial districts] are corrupt... and if there is still someone who is [corrupt], we will find a proper place for them," he said.