Clinton arrives in regional ally Georgia, during security trip.

  • 12 years ago
(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Georgia's Black Sea resort Batumi on Monday (June 4) within the framework of her a tour of the Southern Caucasus.

Clinton's South Caucasus trip will focus largely on U.S. interests and security in the region criss-crossed by energy pipelines, fraught with territorial disputes and the site of a five-day war between Russia and pro-western Georgia in 2008.

Clinton will open the U.S.-Georgian Strategic Partnership commission plenary session in Batumi and is scheduled to hold discussions with a broad range of political actors which would include President Mikheil Saakashvili and opposition forces.

The US State Department said Clinton would discuss "regional security, democracy, economic development and counter-terrorism".

Clinton will end her trip in Istanbul on June 7, speaking at a counter-terrorism forum and holding talks with Turkish officials on Syria.