Georgia ‘serious’ about US military base

press tv
Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:30:38 GMT

A US soldier in Afghanistan. A possible stopover in Georgia would help
supplying the troops.
Georgia says it is ready to "seriously" consider hosting a US military
base to help supply the American forces stationed in Afghanistan.

"If the US mulls over deploying a base in Georgia, we are ready to
examine this question seriously," Itar-Tass quoted the Georgian Foreign
Minister Grigol Washadze as saying on Thursday.

"Currently we do not have consultations on this issue with the US,"
Washadze added.

The outpost would function as a stopover for the supplies meant for the
US- and NATO-led troops in Afghanistan after Kyrgyzstan voted to close
down the Manas airbase, which has been used by the US military to bring
supplies into Afghanistan since 2001.

The closure left Washington with a number of landing rights and mutual
agreements.

Analysts believe that Georgia’s cooperation on the matter contributes
to the country’s NATO membership and guarantees Washington’s stronger
alliance with Tbilisi against Moscow.

Russian authorities say the NATO hopes to warn against the expansion of
the military alliance’s borders towards Russia.

Upon Georgia’s accession, NATO’s borders would touch those of Russia’s
at an extremely sensitive geographic whereabouts – the south Caucasus.

Last August, the region became the scene of armed confrontation between
Russia and Georgia which had invaded the pro-independence and
Moscow-friendly republic of South Ossetia.