Bush: 'You've Got A Friend'
President Bush, greeted with a huge outpouring of affection in this former Soviet republic, expressed strong support for the fledging democracy here Tuesday and said, "You've got a solid friend in America."
President Bush encouraged Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili to use peaceful means to settle disputes with two separatist regions - Abkhazia and South Ossetia - which are aligned with Moscow.
Mr. Bush offered to help resolve the disputes if his assistance is requested. "I'm confident that the government of Georgia has got a good strategy to move forward to resolve the disputes. Obviously if the president were to call and want me to make a phone call or two, I'd be more than happy to do so. ... The United States cannot impose a solution nor would you want us to."
Presidents Bush and Saakashvili met in the Parliament House about two blocks from Freedom Square where tens of thousands of people were gathering for a speech by the president. Saakashvili said more 150,000 people had assembled - an estimate that seemed overstated.
"No event in the history of this country has ever assembled anything close to these number," the Georgian leader said. "It shows the importance of this visit."
At the Parliament building in Tbilisi, President Bush walked a red carpet inspecting a military honor guard as part of the ceremony formally welcoming him. CBS News Correspondent Mark Knoller, who is traveling with the president, notes that the parliament is a landmark in Georgia's move toward democracy: it was at the parliament that the so-called Rose revolution reached its climax some 18 months ago - leading to free elections.
Enormous U.S. and Georgian flags covered the facade of the Parliament building, and roses were everywhere - even in the room where the two presidents met.
President Bush told Saakashvili that he had talked in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin about Georgia's demand for the closure of two Russian bases in this country.
"He (Putin) reminded me that there is an agreement in place - a 1999 agreement," said Mr. Bush. "He said that the Russians want to work with the government to fulfill their obligations in terms of that agreement. I think that's a commitment that's important for the people of Georgia to hear. It shows there's grounds to work to get this issue resolved."
The long-simmering dispute over the bases has strained relations between the ex-Soviet republic, relations that soured further since Saakashvili and his pro-Western administration came to power in Georgia in 2004.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said it could take up to four years to build the barracks, garages and other infrastructure in Russia to handle the servicemen and materiel that would be withdrawn from Georgia.
Georgia's Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili has said the withdrawal must be completed before January 2008 because of parliamentary and presidential elections.
Saakashvili did not attend Monday's victory in Europe Day celebration in Moscow to protest Russia's slowness in withdrawing the two bases.
The excitement over President Bush's visit to this ancient hilly capital was evident at every turn.
Freedom Square began filling with people hours before President Bush delivered his speech, intended to inspire democratic change elsewhere and encourage countries not to give up on the difficult work of establishing truly free, representative governments.
On Monday night, the Bush motorcade route was lined with an extraordinary turnout of locals cheering and waving in excitement at his visit to this impoverished nation. He and his wife, Laura, were treated to a lively scene in the city's Old Town. Georgian dancers costumed in red, black and white and colorful headscarves performed dozens of traditional routines for the smiling, clapping - even hip-shaking - president.
President Bush, who only planned to stay 20 minutes, was caught up in the revelry - the leaping and whirling and stomping - and remained for nearly two hours, including sitting down for a meal in a restaurant along the street. As he emerged in the doorway of the restaurant to leave, the dancing and singing resumed and a huge fireworks show sent him off with explosions that filled the sky above an ancient church on a nearby hillside.
"I learned first hand what it means to be fed by a Georgian," Bush said at the news conference. "I'm really full. And the food was great. I should have eaten my meal first and then danced."