VOA标准英语2009-US Reaffirms Backing for Georgian Territoria

The Obama administration on Monday reaffirmed support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial¹ integrity while it pursues better relations with Russia - Georgia's adversary² in last year's military conflict. The White House says Vice³ President Joe Biden will visit Georgia next month after President Barack Obama's summit visit to Moscow.
　
Vice President Joe Biden(File photo)

The Obama administration is reassuring⁴ Tbilisi that its efforts to improve relations with Moscow are not coming at the expense of Georgia or other countries in the region.

The comments came at high-level U.S.-Georgia talks aimed at giving substance to the U.S.-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership⁵ that was signed here by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze in the closing days of the Bush administration.

Partnership accord important

Vashadze returned to the State Department on Monday for a follow-up meeting to launch a permanent bilateral⁶ committee, including working groups on economic relations, defense⁷ and security, enhancing democracy and people-to-people exchanges.

He called the wide-ranging partnership accord signed on January 9 the most important agreement in Georgia's post-Soviet era history.

"It's a historic day for Georgia, like it was when we signed the charter. It is the one single-most important agreement in the modern history of our country signed since we regained⁸ our independence. And we are very thankful to our hosts, to the American delegation⁹ for this useful and very result-oriented work," he said.

US supports Georgian independence

Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg headed the U.S. side at the meeting, standing¹⁰ in for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who is recovering from surgery for the broken elbow she sustained in a fall last week.

Steinberg reaffirmed "strong" United States support for Georgian independence and territorial integrity, and efforts to assist the process of reform and professionalization of the Georgian military needed to achieve eventual¹¹ NATO membership.

The Deputy Secretary of State also stressed that the Obama administration's pursuit of a better relationship with Moscow, including a hoped for new strategic arms accord by year's end, does not come at the expense of Georgia, which fought a brief war with Russia last August.

"We believe very strongly that by building a better relationship, if we can, with Russia, it will contribute to the well-being¹² and security of countries like Georgia. And that would be very much or aim. We do not see our relationship with Russia as in any way detracting from or at the expense of the security and well-being of any of the countries in the region, any of our partners," he said.

The United States has led international opposition¹³ to Moscow's recognition of the self-declared independence of the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Washington has criticized Moscow's insistence¹⁴ on international peacekeeping plans that would imply recognition of the areas.

US welcomes Tbilisi's restraint

At the press event with the Georgian foreign minister, Steinberg also welcomed the Tbilisi government's "restraint" in handling street protests last month.

The White House announced later on Monday that Vice President Joe Biden will visit Georgia and Ukraine in late July, two weeks after President Obama's scheduled summit visit to Moscow. It said Biden will meet government and opposition leaders in both countries and demonstrate U.S. support for continued democratic and economic reform.

1 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

2 adversary   

adj.敌手，对手

参考例句：

• He saw her as his main adversary within the company.他将她视为公司中主要的对手。
• They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation.他们会不择手段地去损害对手的名誉。

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

5 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

6 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

9 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

12 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

13 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

14 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。