WRAP Clinton meets Saakashvilli, FM, joint presser

(5 Jul 2010) SHOTLIST
AUDIO AS INCOMING
1. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton getting out of vehicle and shaking hands with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili
2. Various of Clinton and Saakashvili walking into meeting, introductions
3. Both sides sitting down for meeting
4. Mid of Saakashvili and Clinton seated in office, push in on Saakashvili
5. Mid of Clinton
6. Clinton and Saakashvili walking into news conference
7. Wide of news conference
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgian President:
"So, it is therefore with great pleasure and it's a great honour as well to welcome you, Madam Secretary, to a free Georgia. If we are able to welcome you to independent and democratic country, it is largely thanks to the solidarity of the American people to our profound and deep partnership and to the consistent leadership shown by President Obama and Secretary Clinton."
9. Cutaway of audience
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Rodham Clinton, US Secretary of State:
"I came to Georgia with a clear message from President Obama and myself: The United States is steadfast in its commitment to Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The United States does not recognise spheres of influence. President Obama and I have also communicated this message directly to our Russian counterparts, most recently during our meetings in Washington June 24th. We continue call for Russia to abide by the August 2008 ceasefire commitment, signed by President Saakashvili and President Medvedev, including ending the occupation and withdrawing Russian troops from South Ossetia and Abkhazia to their pre-conflict positions."
11. Cutaway of audience
12. End of news conference
13. Various of Clinton and Saakashvili on tour of old Tbilisi
14. Clinton and Saakashvili drinking wine and toasting
15. Various of Clinton meeting opposition leaders
STORYLINE
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday pledged US support for Georgia, a former Soviet state recovering from an August 2008 Russian military invasion and seeking to consolidate its democracy.
At a news conference with President Mikhail Saakashvili, Clinton delivered what she called a message from President Barack Obama and herself.
"The United States is steadfast in its commitment to Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The United States does not recognise spheres of influence," she said, referring to Russia's claim that it had privileged interests and special influence in former Soviet states like Georgia.
Clinton said she and Obama stressed those points to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev when he was in Washington last month.
Clinton also called on Russia to live up to the commitments it made in a cease-fire agreement following its August 2008 invasion - including withdrawing its troops to the positions they held before the attack.
Russia also should permit humanitarian access to the portions of Georgia its troops still occuppied, she said.
The invasion remains a point of contention between Washington and Moscow and complicates US relations with Georgia.
The Obama administration is trying to strike a balance between pressing the Russians to withdraw their forces from the breakaway Georgian territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and convincing the Georgian government that building up its military is not the right solution.
At the centre of the Russia-Georgia tensions is an effort by Moscow to reassert its influence in the region, to preserve what Medvedev calls a Russian zone of "privileged interest."
Before leaving Georgia, Clinton went on a tour of old Tbilisi and later met opposition leaders.

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