GEORGIA: SENIOR US DIPLOMAT SAYS A DEMOCRATIC GEORGIA IS A "BETTER PARTNER"

Eurasianet

June 10, 2009

It was the standard Washington line, but for Georgians hard-pressed
by security worries, newly appointed United States Assistant Secretary
of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Phillip Gordon’s pledge of
continued support for Georgia and the country’s territorial integrity
was the line they wanted to hear.

At a June 10 briefing in Tbilisi, Gordon told journalists that he had
"excellent" talks with Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze,
adding that his decision to come to Georgia less than a month after
assuming his post was a sign of US support for the country.

"We stand by Georgia. We stand by its territorial integrity," he
said. The United States, he continued, hopes that Russia will make a
"pragmatic" decision for regional security when the United Nations
Security Council meets in New York on June 15 to discuss the UN
monitors’ mandate in Abkhazia.

During his two-day visit, Gordon also met with opposition leaders as
well as various senior officials. As with Russia, however, he stuck
to the safe and general when addressing Georgia’s domestic situation.

The United States, he stressed, supports the process of democratic
reforms in Georgia. "The more democratic Georgia is, the better
partner for the United States it is," said Gordon.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress