Bush, Saakashvili Hold Phone Talks
U.S. President George W. Bush held a phone conversation with his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili on June 3 and discussed separatist conflicts and the recent deal with Russia over the withdrawal of military bases from Georgia, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
?The President [Bush] called to congratulate President Saakashvili on reaching an agreement with Moscow on Russia withdrawing its forces from military bases in Georgia. The two leaders agreed on the importance of Georgia and Russia working together in a constructive way to move forward on the agreement and to advance cooperation on the peaceful resolution of Georgia’s separatist conflicts,? Scott McClellan said at a news briefing on June 3.
?The two leaders also discussed the cooperation between the United States and Georgia to advance democracy in the South Caucuses, Central Asia and beyond,? he added.
The White House spokesman also said that the two Presidents briefly touched on the grenade incident in Tbilisi. This incident involved a hand grenade that was found near the site where the U.S. and Georgian Presidents addressed tens of thousands Georgians on May 10 from Freedom Square in Tbilisi. The FBI reported that the grenade was live but failed to function correctly.
Scott McClellan said that the two Presidents ?didn’t get into that level of detail? during the phone conversation, as the case ?remains under investigation.?
?The President expressed his appreciation for the official — the security official who located it [grenade] and removed it,? the White House spokesman added.
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
