Bush arrives in Georgia for flying visit
US President George Bush arrived in the ex-Soviet republic of Georgia today on a visit that Georgians hope will notch up the pressure on Russia to respect this young democracy on its doorstep.
Georgians want Russia to withdraw two Soviet-era holdover bases it maintains on Georgian territory and to stop giving support to two separatist regions - issues that the US-educated president, Mikhail Saakashvili, is looking to the US to promote.
Saakashvili and his Dutch-born wife, Sandra Roelofs, greeted Bush and first lady Laura Bush at the airport in Tbilisi, where Georgian and US flags fluttered under a grey sky. Saakashvili’s wife gave the first lady a bouquet of flowers while a Georgian honour guard stood at attention.
The presidents and their wives then departed for a tour of Georgia’s historic old town, a neighbourhood of rickety balconies, crooked streets and colourful bath houses.
Georgians have been frantically preparing for the visit, erecting giant welcoming billboards along the road and coating ramshackle buildings with fresh paint. Georgian dancers and singers in traditional costumes performed for the president.
“When the leader of today’s free world turns his attention to you, you should be proud,” said Katya Chichua, 50, as she surveyed workers laying colourful Oriental rugs on a stage in the old town.
The White House has said the trip, coming directly after Bush’s visit to Moscow, is a chance to praise the rising pro-democracy sentiment in the former Soviet sphere – a movement that Georgians proudly claim to have started with their peaceful 2003 Rose Revolution that brought the pro-Western Saakashvili to power.
“Now we have the privilege and honour to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the US, sharing the gifts of liberty and democracy with our neighbours,” Saakashvili said in a welcome letter.
Georgia has declared its hope to someday join Nato and the European Union - two goals that are still far off for the nation of five million, which remains wracked by separatism and whose people are still burdened by deep poverty.
Georgia has an uneasy relationship with its giant neighbour and main energy supplier, Russia, and Bush’s visit is getting a near-universal welcome.
Many see the US as the kind of powerful friend that Georgia needs as it manoeuvres out of Moscow’s orbit. Saakashvili refused Russia’s invitation to attend today’s Victory in Europe Day celebrations in Moscow to protest at Russia’s reluctance to withdraw its two military bases. The Georgians have said the Russian troops are no longer welcome and are pushing for a quick pull-out.
“It is because of Bush’s visit that Saakashvili was able to do the right thing,” said Shato Baliashvili, 81, whose chest shone with medals he earned for spending three years on the front lines in the Second World War with the Red Army.
In an interview with Georgia’s Rustavi 2 television that was broadcast on Sunday night, Bush said Washington was ready to provide help over the bases but emphasised dialogue between Moscow and Tbilisi would bring the best results. Bush noted the support Russia gave Georgia in its efforts to restore order to the Pankisi Gorge, an area that borders Chechnya, as a welcome sign of co-operation.
Saakashvili will be pressing Bush for support for his bid to restore federal control over the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Saakashvili has offered both autonomy, but his proposals have been rejected and the issue remains a painful one for many Georgians, who were forced to flee their homes and remain barred from visiting. Russia has developed close ties with both regions.
Political analyst Givi Bolotashvili said that simply by his presence, Bush will strengthen Saakashvili’s hand by showing he has the US’ moral support, which could lead to a settlement.
After face-to-face meetings on Tuesday with Saakashvili, Bush is expected to address the nation on Tbilisi’s Freedom Square before departing.
The president’s visit will also include a bit of traditional Georgian hospitality, fitting for a nation famed for its tables laden with food and wine and which has elevated giving toasts to an art form.
The collapse of the Soviet Union and the disorder that seized Georgia marred this nation’s reputation as a resort destination, but many are hoping a successful visit by the US president will put Georgia back on the map.
