WASHINGTON TO GIVE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO GEORGIA

TBILISI, January 13, 2004. / RIA Novosti correspondent /. The United States will give financial assistance to Georgia to the tune of 10 million dollars. As the Georgian state administrative office told the Novosti-Georgia agency Tuesday, the relevant agreement was signed in Tbilisi Tuesday by Lynn Pasco, US deputy assistant secretary of state, and Zurab Zhvania, Georgia's state minister.

The Georgian state office has specified that these funds will be used to pay wages to servicemen, to cover arrears of pensions, and to pay heating expenses of socially unprotected strata of the population in winter time.

This assistance will be given to Georgia in recognition of its adherence to the global struggle against terrorism and also as aid to the country's government in the transition period, says the statement made public yesterday by the press service of the US embassy in Georgia.

The US embassy's statement also points out that the agreement on financial assistance to Georgia is part of prompt measures to be taken in order to help Georgia following Lynn Pasco's previous visit to that country held on December 18, 2003, after the change of power in Georgia.

All in all, the United States will give 21 million dollars to the Georgian government as financial assistance in the transition period.