Rumsfeld vows to support Georgia
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Rumsfeld: "Georgia ... is a staunch friend of the West."
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(CNN) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has underscored America's "very strong support" for stability and fair elections in the volatile Republic of Georgia.
He also called for Russia to heed an agreement that calls for the withdrawal of its troops from that former Soviet state.
"We stand ready to assist Georgia in the period ahead," Rumsfeld said in Tbilisi, the capital, during a news conference with acting president Nino Burdzhanadze on Friday.
"Georgia, of course, is a staunch friend of the West and we welcome the acting president's commitment to hold free and fair elections."
He also made a reference to supporting the territorial integrity of Georgia, where separatist sentiments predominate in a couple of regions. The country is gaining strategic importance because of an oil pipeline in the country that links oil fields in Azerbaijan to a port in Turkey.
Georgia is dealing with historic political upheaval that came to a head last month after widespread protests over November 2 parliamentary elections, regarded by the opposition as rigged.
Faced with massive protests, former President Eduard Shevardnadze, a former Soviet foreign minister, was forced to resign November 23. New presidential elections are to be held January 4.
United States, which has about 100 military advisers in Georgia to train its troops in counterterrorism tactics, has offered support for the country's political transition.
Georgia borders the breakaway Russian republic of Chechnya, where Russian troops have fought a separatist movement for most of the past decade.
The presence of Russian troops, however, remains controversial. Several years ago, an accord hammered out in Istanbul called for the withdrawal of the Russian forces, a development backed by Georgia that has yet to occur.
"As Secretary Powell indicated, the United States agrees that Russia should fulfill its commitments under Istanbul accords to withdraw its forces from Georgia."
He also said: "As I recall, Russia agreed to the Istanbul accords, which suggests to me there was unanimity on the subject. And that would suggest to me that it was probably a pretty good idea."
Rumsfeld met with Burdzhanadze and other officials to discuss Georgia-U.S. relations and activities and praised Georgia's help in the war on terror and the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns.
"Georgia has made a decision to work closely with NATO," as a member of the Partnership for Peace program.
"We believe that's a good decision. We're delighted the decision has been reaffirmed by the current leadership."
Also, leaders of Georgia's two separatist and one semi-autonomous region have refused to deal with the new government and have held meetings with officials in Moscow.
