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Clinton: Georgia can count on U.S.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili (UPI Photo/Brendan Smialowski/POOL)
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili (UPI Photo/Brendan Smialowski/POOL) | License Photo

TBILISI, Georgia, July 6 (UPI) -- The United States is committed to Georgia's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" as it continues to grow, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

Clinton, winding down her visit to several former communist countries, said she brought a specific message to Georgia from U.S. President Barack Obama.

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"The United States is steadfast in its commitment to Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The United States does not recognize spheres of influence," she said during a joint news conference Monday with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Russia must abide by the August 2008 cease-fire reached after it invaded Georgia and signed by Saakashvili and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Clinton said. That means providing humanitarian aid, and "ending the occupation and withdrawing Russian troops from South Ossetia and Abkhazia to their pre-conflict positions," she said.

She also thanked Georgia for its "significant contributions" in Afghanistan, noting that Georgian soldiers are fighting alongside of U.S. troops in Helmand province.

Clinton also reiterated U.S. support for Georgia's political and economic reform.

"We are committed to supporting Georgians, Georgians who are working to build a future that is freer, more democratic, more prosperous and more secure," America's top diplomat said.

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The United States has been "decisive in protecting Georgian independence, helping our democracy to grow," Saakashvili said, "especially … in the recent critical period after the invasion of our country in 2008" by Russia.

The Georgian leader said his talks with Clinton "confirms to all of us that the support we receive, the partnership we have built, is growing in substance and form."

While much needs to be done to ensure Georgia's security, "we want to tell the world that Georgia is a model of political and economic reforms," he said.

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