John Tefft, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, said, while addressing the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on March 8, that the United States has ?no plans for establishing U.S. bases in Georgia.?
?Moscow continues to react strongly over a possible U.S. military role in the region. This can be particularly seen in the pressure that Russia has placed on Georgia to agree on ?no foreign bases? clause in a Georgia Russia Framework Treaty, and it can also be seen in Russia displeasure over the U.S. Georgia Train-and-Equip Program (GTEP) and Sustainment and Stability Operations Program (SSOP) to train Georgian forces. We have made clear to Moscow at very senior levels that we have no plans for establishing U.S. bases in Georgia,? John Tefft said.