Foreign Minister Comments on Saakashvili-Rice Meeting

Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Bakradze said that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had reiterated U.S. support for Georgia during a meeting with President Saakashvili in Washington on March 20.

“We are very glad that we heard from Mrs. Rice open and clear support for the process of Georgia’s integration into NATO,” Bakradze, who is accompanying President Saakashvili, said on Mze TV. “We also heard that the United States supports Georgia’s invitation to MAP [Membership Action Plan] at the Bucharest summit. Mrs. Rice also reiterated the United States’ long-standing support for Georgia’s territorial integrity and noted that she shared the concerns of the Georgian side related to Russia’s recent moves in Abkhazia. I think that such positions are very good precondition for us that will help us move the processes in desirable directions.”