Bidzina Ivanishvili, leader of Georgian Dream opposition coalition, said on June 12 that he would secure return of Georgian products back to the Russian market “soon” after coming into power.

As part of his campaign Ivanishvili was in western region of Samegrelo on June 12 meeting with locals in several villages of Zugdidi district; he also visited several local families there.

When Ivanishvili’s host complained that his family was not able to sell citrus since Russia closed its market for the Georgian products, Georgian Dream leader responded: “We will be able to reopen Russian market very soon; that’s not a problem.”

He also said that President Saakashvili himself could secure restoration of exports to Russia, but had no political will to do that. He told his host that when several years ago he offered President Saakashvili that he would invest one billion in the country’s agriculture sector, the President refused “because he wants to keep people enslaved” in order to then easily manipulate them for electoral purposes by distributing meager allowances and fuel vouchers to farmers.

Accompanied by leader of Our Georgia-Free Democrats Irakli Alasania, who is in charge of Georgian Dream’s campaign in Samegrelo region, Ivanishvili also met his coalition’s activists in Khobi on June 12.