U.S. Doubles Funding to Prevent Biological Threat in Georgia

The Georgian and U.S. sides will sign an agreement on August 30 envisaging increase funding from the United States for biological weapons proliferation prevention and biological threat reduction from $15 million to $30 million.

The money will be spent to improve storage facilities and research labs working with biologically hazardous materials, the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi reported.

The signing in Tbilisi will be attended by visiting U.S. Senator Richard Lugar, the head of the United States Senate Foreign Relations committee.

Senator Lugar, who has been a leader in reducing the threat of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, will hold consultations with the Georgian leadership on August 30 in Tbilisi.

He will meet Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze, Secretary of the National Security Council Gela Bezhuashvili and Minister of Environmental Protection Tamar Lebanidze.