President Saakashvili held two separate phone conversations with U.S. President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden on November 17.

“The U.S. President-elect expressed his unconditional support to the territorial integrity of Georgia and focused on the importance of continuation of the ongoing reforms in Georgia. Barack Obama assured the Georgian President about the U.S. support in this regard,” the Georgian President’s press office reported.

A brief statement on the U.S. President-elect’s website says that Obama returned phone calls to three world leaders – Presidents of Georgia, Philippines and Turkey - and expressed his appreciation for their congratulations on his election.

Meanwhile, in New York Georgia’s UN ambassador, Irakli Alasania, told reporters that he expected the U.S. President-elect would maintain strong U.S. support for Georgia’s NATO integration. “The support to Georgia and its NATO aspirations is bipartisan in the U.S.,” Reuters reported quoting Alasania. He also said that the integration process might take longer than previously expected.