Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

The stay of Russian troops in Georgian territory is unacceptable, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Eric Rubin has said on a visit to Georgia.

"The U.S. position regarding the obligations that Russia undertook in 2008 to withdraw its troops from the Georgian territory remain unchanged," Rubin told a press briefing at the US embassy in Tbilisi on Wednesday.

Rubin said the U.S. has a clear and firm position on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.

Russia crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over the rebel regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in August 2008 and later recognized the breakaway regions. In response, Tbilisi broke off diplomatic relations with Moscow and announced the two unrecognized republics as the occupied territories.

Rubin declined to comment on the statements made by Georgian Dream coalition leader Bidzina Ivanishvili on Georgia's participation at the Sochi Olympics.

"It would be inappropriate to answer a specific question relating to Georgia's foreign policy...I am only expressing the thoughts that emerged during my stay. The US relations with Georgia will be firm and strengthen further," he said.

With regard to the Iranian and Turkish-Syrian issues Rubin said the United States looks forward to lasting and fruitful cooperation with Georgia on these issues.

"During the meetings with the President and future Prime Minister of Georgia, we discussed the international community's efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons," Rubin said.

He stressed that the U.S. and Georgia have established a good relationship on this issue. "We are broadly cooperating over the Turkish-Syrian issue, and Georgia is called upon to play a peacekeeping role in the region," Rubin noted.

The U.S., together with other Western countries and Israel accuse Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a peaceful nuclear program. Tehran does not deny enriching uranium to 20 percent, but says its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.

Since 2003, six negotiators -- representatives of Russia, the UK, China, U.S., France and Germany -- in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been seeking to suspend Iran`s uranium enrichment, which is believed to be a threat to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.