A young Georgian woman discusses the aftermath of the Russian invasion

Situation in Georgia

The war in Georgia is over, and nowadays my country is engaged in an endless labyrinth of negotiations with Russia. Life is back to normal but it doesn’t mean that problems for Georgians are solved.

Unfortunately, after 4 months there is no actual result for Russians leaving Georgia. Thousands of refugees are coming from the occupied areas. Thanks to the subsidies from international organizations or other countries government manages to give them shelter and food. But it can’t alternate their home!

Russian troops are still standing in Georgian territories, checking each Georgian citizen who is trying to visit back to their places. God, I have to ask permission to Russian soldiers for letting me in my own village to see my grandparents! People who preferred not to leave their houses in the occupied territories are asked (or ordered) to get Russian passports.

Almost every day Russians are trying to get Georgia back to war with provocative actions. Couple days ago Abkhazian and Russian troops riddled Georgian posts near conflict areas. Russia is trying to use its influence and makes statement that it is against EU monitors in Georgian conflict areas.

Georgia was one of the fastest developing countries before the conflict. Investments were made in the country, the tourist sector was very successful, but Russian-Georgian war destroyed it all. And now it will take years to recover the damage.

Georgia is supposed to get over 4 billion as grants and long-term loans. The future of Georgia depends on effective usage and distribution of this money.

Hopefully with careful, wise management of subsidies and cooperation we’ll be able to get our country back!

POTI, Georgia, Sept. 5, 2008 – USS Mount Whitney pulled into port here today, transporting humanitarian relief supplies in support of “Operation Assured Delivery.”

The delivery is part of the larger U.S. response to the Georgian government’s request for humanitarian assistance after the conflict with Russian forces last month.

Mount Whitney will deliver more than 17 tons of aid, including 4,000 blankets donated by the U.S. Agency for International Development, juice, powdered milk and hygiene products.

In the past few weeks, USS McFaul and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas carried more than 115 tons of humanitarian supplies to the port in Batumi, Georgia, while U.S. Navy C-9, C-40 and C-130 aircraft flew 20 continuous missions airlifting 325 tons of humanitarian aid into the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

USS Mount Whitney has a hybrid crew of U.S. Navy sailors and civilian mariners, and is home-ported in Gaeta, Italy

DoD

The United States Supports The Recovery, Stability, And Continued Growth Of Georgia’s Economy

U.S. assistance will aid Georgia’s economy and seeks to ensure Georgia regains its position as one of the world’s fastest growing economies.

Georgia’s economy grew by 12 percent in 2007, as a result of solid macroeconomic management, openness to trade and investment, and business-friendly economic policies. The Government of Georgia has reiterated its commitment to the sound policies that have led to this success. The United States is committed to assisting Georgia to remain on this path and will help Georgia’s economy recover from conflict.

The United States Will Provide Economic And Humanitarian Support To Georgia

• The United States is making a multiyear commitment of $1 billion in support of Georgia’s economic recovery and humanitarian needs. Approximately half of the total will be made available to meet immediate requirements using existing FY 2008 and FY 2009 resources, and the balance of funding will be budgeted for next year to address longer-term requirements. This assistance will be used for budget support to the Government of Georgia, infrastructure rehabilitation, private sector financing, humanitarian assistance, and other development activities. As part of this package, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation will be providing $150 million in investment of private sector investment projects in Georgia.

• Humanitarian assistance will continue to help Georgians displaced by invasion. The United States began providing humanitarian assistance to meet the immediate needs of the Georgian people at the onset of the conflict. To date, the United States has provided nearly $30 million in humanitarian assistance by sea, land, and air. The United States military, in partnership with the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, has led this effort with 61 trips and two maritime shipments to Georgia, delivering more than 1,200 tons of food and medical supplies.

• The United States is working closely with our multilateral development bank partners as they formulate their plans to help Georgia meet its reconstruction needs and leverage the private investment needed for future growth. Georgia has an impressive track record of reform, and its economic fundamentals have increasingly strengthened. The United States strongly supports Georgia’s engagement strategy with the International Monetary Fund to bolster market confidence and support the Georgian government as it addresses economic challenges resulting from the conflict.

• The United States will deepen its trade and investment ties with Georgia. The United States will broaden its Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with Georgia, explore negotiating an enhanced bilateral investment treaty, propose new legislation to expand preferential access to the U.S. market for Georgian exports, and provide trade-related technical assistance, including by helping Georgia take full advantage of the Generalized System of Preferences. The United States will assist American firms to invest in Georgia and sponsor exchanges to enhance ties between the U.S. and Georgian business communities.

• Marine war risk insurance will support maritime commerce with Georgia. The President will exercise his authority to make sure that insurance against loss or damage caused by acts of war relating to the conflict in Georgia will be available if commercial insurance is not available on reasonable terms.

• The United States will work with the European Union to assist Georgia with its reconstruction and will participate in the international conference on Georgia’s reconstruction. The United States has joined the EU in condemning Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and in calling on other states not to recognize these Georgian separatist regions.

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The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas (WHEC 716) and the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) transit through the Black Sea en route to the Republic of Georgia to deliver humanitarian relief supplies. Dallas is carrying more than 76,000 pounds of supplies, including soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, baby wipes, toilet paper and other necessities. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Lauren Jorgensen/Released)

We had the opportunity to interview the Captain of the Coast Guard Cutter Dallas in today’s Bloggers’ Roundtable. Capt. Robert Wagner talked about his mission to bring aid to Georgia.

Dallas was loaded with 80 pallets of supplies at Souda Bay, Crete. Dallas is not a freight vessel so a dockside crane was used to load the 76,000 pounds of assistance. She had already obtained permission from the Turks to transit the Straits for other purposes so sailing into the Black Sea was not an issue.

Dallas rendezvoused with the USS McFaul just outside Georgian territorial waters to take the task force commander, Capt. John Moore, commodore, Combined Task Force 367, and other personnel aboard. They were met by Georgian Coast Guard vessels as they entered Georgian waters and escorted to the port of Batumi.

A Georgian forklift driver drives toward a pallet of humanitarian assistance supplies being crane lifted from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas (WHEC 716). Dallas arrived with more than 76,000 pounds of humanitarian supplies to be delivered to the people of Georgia in response to the request of the government of the Republic of Georgia. Dallas is part of Combined Task Force 367, the maritime element of the U.S. humanitarian assistance mission to Georgia. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Eddie Harrison/Released)

The Georgians were prepared and a barge crane was used to unload the aid supplies. Unloading took about four hours.

A pallet of humanitarian assistance supplies is offloaded from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas (WHEC 716). Dallas arrived with more than 76,000 pounds of humanitarian supplies to be delivered to the people of Georgia in response to the request of the government of the Republic of Georgia. Dallas is part of Combined Task Force 367, the maritime element of the U.S. humanitarian assistance mission to Georgia. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Eddie Harrison/Released)

Captain Wagner described the greeting from the Georgians as an “amazingly warm welcome”. He said it was “a proud day to be an American”. A crowd of about a thousand people greeted the ship, waving American flags and Georgian flags.

Local Georgians greet Capt. John Moore, commodore, Combined Task Force 367, shortly after the arrival of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas (WHEC 716). Dallas arrived with more than 76,000 pounds of humanitarian assistance supplies to be given to the people of Georgia in response to the request of the government of the Republic of Georgia. Dallas is part of Combined Task Force 367, the maritime element of the U.S. humanitarian assistance mission to Georgia. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Eddie Harrison/Released)

Dallas left port before sunset on Wednesday, August 27, mission accomplished. She rendezvoused with the USS McFaul just outside Georgian territorial waters to return the Commodore and other personnel, and then continued with her originally assigned duties.

During the aid mission, Dallas saw only one Russian vessel, a Krivak class frigate. Their behavior was “professional” and Captain Wagner felt no threats to his vessel during the mission.

John Donovan reminds us that he is carrying reports from Georgia at his site.

Walking the Walk – 1
Walking the Walk – 2

GORI, Georgia (Aug. 25, 2008) A teddy bear lies amidst rubble in Gori after the recent conflict between Georgia and Russia. Members of U.S. European Command’s Joint Assessment Team were accompanied by officials from the government of the Republic of Georgia, and toured the embattled city to assess the level of damage, the status of relief efforts, and the return of displaced persons. The Department of Defense deployment is part of a larger United States response to the government of Georgia request for humanitarian assistance. U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development is coordinating the efforts. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Jim Hoeft/Released)