U.S., Georgia reaffirm strategic partnership at annual meeting

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. State Department announced Friday that the United States and Georgia reaffirmed their strategic partnership and articulated the benefits of Georgia's European choice at their annual meeting held here last week.

According to a statement released by the U.S. side, the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Commission's Working Group on People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges met on Dec. 15 to advance bilateral cooperation in the areas of education, public health, as well as sports and cultural exchanges.

The working group also renewed their support for the Geneva International Discussions as the forum to advance concrete progress on security and humanitarian issues in the territories which are in dispute with Russia.

Georgia, a former Soviet republic, is still having a strained relationship with Russia. It cut diplomatic ties with Russia following a brief armed conflict in August 2008 over the control of the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

At the meeting, Washington expressed strong support for Georgia's efforts to increase engagement and expand services to the residents of the two regions. Enditem