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The Backing-Up Visit
The Tbilisi tour of U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried ended yesterday, October 19, 2006. During the visit, the U.S. official confirmed support for territorial integrity in Georgia and voiced concern about Russia’s crackdown on that state. Meanwhile, authorities of Russia’s Privolzhie district decided to deport 150 more citizens of Georgia.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, who arrived in Georgia to discuss its present relations with Russia, held meetings with President Mikhail Saakashvili, Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze, PM Zurab Nogaideli and the opposition leaders. The results of the two-day visit became clear at the news conference that the U.S. official held in Tbilisi yesterday.
Fried firmly confirmed to reporters the U.S. support for the territorial integrity of Georgia within borders acknowledged worldwide and for reforms carried out in the country. The highlight of the visit, spokesman of the U.S. State Department specified, was the crisis in relations of Georgia and Russia. Having backed up Georgia’s statement released by the EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday, Fried expressed concern about Russia’s crackdown on Georgia, forecasting it would end soon as it had no grounds.
Asked about Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Fried said the United States didn’t acknowledge their independence. Drawing any parallel between them and Kosovo would be a historical mistake, Fried said, making clear the U.S. bolsters up Georgia in all key issues. He also denied rumors that Washington had sacrificed Tbilisi to Russia’s consent to sanctions against North Korea.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 20, 2006
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