Powell: Russia, U.S. to Help Georgia

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who arrived in the Georgian capital Tbilisi late on January 24 to attend the Sunday’s presidential inauguration, holds meetings this morning with Zurab Zhvania, the State Minister and Nino Burjanadze, who was Interim President till today.

Earlier Colin Powell urged the Russians to work with the United States to assist Georgia.

“My message is there’s no competition here, at least as far as we’re concerned,” Powell told reporters Powell told reporters aboard his Air Force plane en route to Tbilisi.

“It is in the interest of both the United States and the Russian Federation to help the Georgian people,” he added.

After visiting Tbilisi, Colin Powell will arrive in Moscow to hold talks with the Russian President, Foreign and Defense Ministers. It is anticipated that the issue of withdrawal of the Russian troops from Georgia will also be discussed during the talks of the U.S. and Russian officials.