Georgia sovereignty, integrity 'must be respected': Obama
AFP
MOSCOW- Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity "must be respected," US President Barack Obama stated Monday during a joint Kremlin press conference with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
"There are areas where we still disagree," Obama said following his discussions with Medvedev.
"For instance, we had a frank discussion on Georgia and I reiterated my firm belief that Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected."
"And going forward we must speak candidly to resolve these differences peacefully and constructively."
Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili promptly hailed America's "unconditional" support for Georgia.
"The United States has expressed its unconditional support for Georgia," Saakashvili told Georgia's Rustavi 2 television.
"Georgia does have support and in the future there will be even greater support..., together with our friends we will be able to free our country from occupation."
Russia and Georgia fought a brief but fierce war last August that concluded with Russian forces routing Georgian troops.
Moscow shortly afterwards recognised two separatist Georgian regions as independent countries.
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