The leading Democrat Alcee Hastings, president of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, known as the Helsinki Commission, today presented before the U.S. Congress a bill that gives $ 500 million to Georgia to help in its reconstruction after the conflict with Russia last month.
Hastings explained that the measure seeks to promote economic recovery in Georgia.
"Working with my colleagues in Congress toward a speedy approval of legislation to finance the economic recovery of Georgia," promised Hastings, who described Georgia as a "key strategic partner" of U.S.
The conflict between Georgia and Russia over the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia left serious damage to infrastructure, caused the internal displacement of tens of thousands "of people and disrupted domestic and regional trade.
The initiative Hastings, contained in five pages, provides an overview of the damage caused by regional conflict, which arose after Georgia's incursion into the pro-Russian separatist province of South Ossetia last August 7.
The assistance outlined by Hastings includes technical and financial assistance for the reconstruction of the entire national infrastructure.
The measure also calls for U.S. intervene with the multilateral lending institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and the European Bank for Reconstruction, to assist in reconstruction efforts in Georgia.
Among other things, the legislation calls Hastings also expand opportunities for trade and aid for economic reconstruction in that country in the Caucasus.
Hastings condemned the armed intervention of Russia, which accused the country of violating the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, the peaceful resolution of disputes and respect for human rights, the international community.
Hastings introduced the bill while the Pentagon said today that weighs the kind of help they could mandar to Georgia to rebuild its military infrastructure.
The aid which studies the Pentagon would join the 1,000 million dollars promised that the U.S. Government for the reconstruction of Georgia
Eric Edelman, undersecretary of policy the Pentagon said in a hearing of the Committee of the Senate Armed Forces of the Defense Department "is sending an assessment team to Tbilisi" this week to see the field this country's needs.
After assessing those needs, "review how the U.S. can support the reconstruction of the economy, infrastructure and armed forces of Georgia," said Edelman.
During the hearing, some lawmakers criticized the stance of the government in Washington tilted in favor of Georgia, to indicate that the conflict caused an estrangement with the Government of Moscow.
