President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia and President Barack Obama of the United States held an official meeting this evening on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Lisbon.

The leaders focused on the strong and growing partnership between their two countries, based on their shared democratic values and strategic goals. They discussed regional security, stressing the importance of dialogue and cooperation.

Both leaders underscored that they look forward to deepening their cooperation under the auspices of the US-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership, which covers four broad areas:democratic reform; defense and security cooperation; economic cooperation; and people-to-people contacts. 

President Saakashvili thanked President Obama and his Administration for their steadfast support of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and for affirming Georgia's path toward eventual NATO membership. President Saakashvili also expressed the gratitude of the Georgian people to the Obama administration, the US Congress, and the American people for their generous financial aid package that helped Georgia in the last two years. He also stressed the importance of US assistance in Georgia's continued pursuit of democratic and economic reforms.

President Obama praised Georgia's contributions to NATO's ISAF mission in Afghanistan, where almost a thousand Georgian troops are serving, and expressed his sincere appreciation for the sacrifices made by the Georgian people. He also commended Georgia's reforms and urged the Georgian leadership to continue them. President Obama said the United States supports Georgia's Euro-Atlantic and NATO aspirations.