Bush calls Georgia 'beacon of liberty'

To chants of "Bushi, Bushi," US President George W. Bush hailed Georgia's new democracy as a "beacon of liberty" yesterday and in a swipe at Moscow said the sovereignty of the ex-Soviet republic must be respected.

Tens of thousands of people jammed into Tbilisi's Freedom Square - once called Lenin Square - to cheer Mr Bush at the rallying point for a 2003 "Rose Revolution" that brought pro-Western President Mikhail Saakashvili to power.

Mr Bush threw his weight behind Georgia's efforts to gain the return of two pro-Moscow rebel regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which Mr Saakashvili says is vital for his country to recover from years of economic decline.

But, during a 19-hour visit, Mr Bush significantly avoided open backing for Mr Saakashvili in his demand for the speedy closure of two Russian bases on Georgian soil.

Aware that Georgia's fledging democracy feels intimidated by neighbouring Moscow, Mr Bush said Washington encouraged Georgia's closer cooperation with Nato. And he got some of his loudest cheers when he said "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia must be respected... by all nations".

The US-educated Mr Saakashvili asked for Washington's help in joining the list of other ex-Soviet states to join Nato, saying: "Democracy for our society is a natural attribute and we will defend it as we do our national identity."

The crowd, squeezed into the square and flowing beyond it, responded enthusiastically to the first visit by a sitting US President to the mountainous Caucasus state. Estimates of their numbers ranged from at least 60,000 to well over 100,000.

As the two leaders appeared on the makeshift stage, the crowd chanted "Misha, Misha!" - the short form of Mr Saakashvili's first name - and then "Bushi, Bushi!" - the Georgian language version of the US President's name.

Mr Bush recalled Georgia's long struggle for independence that led to the "people's power" revolution of November 2003.

"You gathered here armed with nothing but roses and the power of your convictions, and you claimed your liberty. And because you acted, Georgia is today both sovereign and free and a beacon of liberty for this region and the world," Mr Bush said.

The Caucasus is home to a string of local conflicts arising from the collapse of the Soviet Union. Georgia borders Russia's troubled Chechnya region and is on the route for a US-backed pipeline linking Caspian Sea oilfields to world markets. Mr Bush told Mr Saakashvili at a joint news conference he could telephone him any time to seek help on the disputes over the rebel regions but suggested international bodies such as the United Nations also be brought in to solve the issue peacefully.

"The (Georgian) President has put a way forward that encourages autonomy and self government but does not encourage dividing up this great country. This seems to me... to be a very reasonable proposition," he said.

He said the disputes should be resolved between the Georgian government and the separatist regions. "The United States cannot impose a solution nor would you want us to," he added.