US vice president arrives in Georgia in show of support
4/9/2008 17:47
US Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Tbilisi today for talks with the
Georgian leadership to extend US support for the Caucasus nation in the wake of
its recent conflict with Russia over a breakaway Georgian region.
On the
highest level visit by a US official, Cheney will be "assessing with President
(Mikheil) Saakashvili and his team the aftermath and implications of this
crisis," said a senior US official last week.
The two leaders "will also look
beyond the immediate situation and discuss in depth the need for a comprehensive
long-term strategy by the international community to help Georgia recover and
rebuild," the US official said.
Cheney arrived in Tbilisi from Baku, capital
of the Caspian Sea nation of Azerbaijan, the first leg of his four-nation tour
that also includes stops in Ukraine and Italy.
His visit comes on the heels
of a White House announcement of a 1-billion-US-dollar aid package to Tbilisi to
"meet Georgia's humanitarian needs and to support its economic recovery."
The
assistance "will help the people of Georgia recover from the assault on their
country, and continue to build a prosperous and competitive economy," US
President George W. Bush said in a statement yesterday.
More than half of the
funds will be made available in the near term, Bush said.
Prior to the new
aid package, the United States has provided nearly US$30 million in aid to
Georgia since the conflict erupted, including 1,200 tons of food and other
relief supplies, according to the White House.
The conflict began early last
month when Tbilisi sent in troops to reclaim South Ossetia, a breakaway region
of Georgia.
Russia quickly mounted a counter-offensive by rolling in its
forces to drive out the Georgian troops. The fighting ended with a ceasefire
agreement brokered by France.
The West accused Russia of bullying its small
neighbor, but Moscow argued its military operations were intended to protect
civilians and enforce peace in the region.
Russia's recognition of South
Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway region of Georgia, as independent states
last week further tightened the tensions in the region.
Xinhua
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