The new president of Georgia is due for an Oval Office session with President Bush

The new president of Georgia is due for an Oval Office session with President Bush exactly a month after he took the country's helm, the White House announced Friday. Georgia President Mikhail Saakashvili was inaugurated Jan. 25, two months after the bloodless ouster of Georgia's longtime leader, Eduard Shevardnadze. Saakashvili, who led the protests that led to Shevardnadze's resignation, has promised to lift the country out of its post-Soviet malaise and set it on a westward course. Georgia's economy has been plagued by corruption and the loss of the captive Soviet-era market for its goods. Saakashvili will meet with Bush at the White House on Wednesday, said Bush spokesman Scott McClellan. "This visit will provide an opportunity to deepen our partnership with Georgia on the fight against terrorism, resolving regional conflicts, Caspian energy, and Georgia's democratic and market economic reforms," he said. "The Presidents will also explore ways to deepen cooperation with Russia, Turkey, and our other European allies in pursuit of freedom, prosperity, and peace throughout the south Caucasus." The United States has pledged support for Saakashvili's efforts to revive Georgia, promising $166 million in assistance in the current budget year. In 2002, U.S. troops went to Georgia to conduct anti-terrorist training for the Georgian military.