TBLISI, Georgia, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld held talks with the Georgian interim government in the capital Tbilisi Friday. The discussion centered around U.S.-Georgia military cooperation and the issue of the removal of Russian military bases from the Georgian territory.
Rumsfeld and Georgia's political leaders spent one hour talking behind closed doors. After the talks, Rumsfeld reaffirmed Georgia's support for the interim government that took over after the so-called velvet revolution ousted President Eduard Shevardnadze last month.
Rumsfeld also said that Washington stands behind Georgia's demand for the
removal of Russian military bases from Georgian territory.
"We certainly wanted to underscore our very strong support for security
and territorial integrity of Georgia. As Secretary (of State Colin) Powell indicated, the U.S. agrees that Russia should fulfill its commitments made during the Istanbul agreement and withdraw the forces from Georgia," Rumsfeld said.
Earlier this week, speaking in the Dutch city of Maastricht, Powell also called on the Russian army to leave Georgian territory. The statement came shortly after Nino Burjanadze, acting president and former speaker of Parliament, criticized Russia for meddling in Georgia's affairs and of supporting separatist regions of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Ajaria.
Mikheil Saakashvili, the former opposition leader and strongest candidate
in the upcoming January presidential vote, said that Rumsfeld's visit
launched a new era in U.S.-Georgia relations.
"The United States is behind us, and it's very important," he said, adding that Georgia received greater security guarantees from Washington, and that the United States military support for Georgia would grow significantly.
Rumsfeld also said that the United States would enhance its military
cooperation with Georgia, where it is already running a program aimed at
training and equipping Georgian army.
Rumsfeld's visit came at the same time as the visit of several State
Department members who have also pledged economic support to Georgia, and $5
million in emergency aid to Georgia's empty state coffers. The new government says that it needs the cash to pay months worth of salaries and pensions.
Security of this 5 million strong Caucasus nation is of concern to the
United States, whose stakes in the region include a multi-billion dollar
Caspian oil pipeline.
