U.S. President George Bush will meet his Georgian counterpart, Mikheil Saakashvili, in Washington on March 19, the White House has said.

“Georgia is a key ally in the war on terror, particularly in Iraq, and a valuable partner in an important region,” the White House said in a statement on February 8. “The president looks forward to discussing a range of issues with President Saakashvili, including our common efforts to advance freedom and security around the world; Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations; efforts to promote a peaceful resolution to the separatist conflicts in South Ossetia and Abkhazia within a unified Georgia; the Georgian government's ongoing democratic reform efforts, particularly in advance of parliamentary elections [this spring]; and cooperation on energy security.”

Saakashvili’s visit to the United States was originally scheduled for late last year, but was postponed because of political turmoil in Georgia.