Georgia, Tbilisi, July 21 / Trend N.Kirtzkhalia /
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili criticized local businessmen at a meeting yesterday for not participating in a commercial law seminar organized by the U.S. Commerce Department.
If a businessman cannot get up at 9:00 a.m., then his business will never grow, Saakashvili said at a meting with the heads of the governmental agencies at the Agriculture Ministry.
He added that Chinese businessmen are an example of responsible workers, as they get up at 7:00 a.m. and finish their work at 12:00 a.m.
"If we want to be strong, this can be achieved only through hard work," Saakashvili said. "If you do not want to know how to work with the largest market - the United States - and benefit from doing so, then there is no point in having this conversation?"
According to Saakashvili, local businessmen must change their work habits.
"The Russian market is worth $250 million, while the U.S. market is worth about 2.5-billion," he said. "The country also has a kinder disposition toward us. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton drinks Georgian wine. U.S. Senator John McCain said Georgian wine is the wine of freedom. This is a big advertisement. But some people here still hope Russia will open its market."