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US warship visits Georgian port of Poti
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-10-19 08:37

MOSCOW -- A US naval warship arrived in the Georgian port of Poti on Saturday for a three-day visit, news reports said.

During the visit, the crew of the US destroyer, the USS Barry, will meet with naval officials, coast guards and residents in Poti, but no joint military exercises will be conducted, the Itar-Tass news agency reported citing Georgian defense officials.

The US Embassy in Tbilisi said it was a routine visit, adding that US warships have previously paid visits to the Georgian ports of Poti and Batumi since 2001.

The visit came more than two months after Georgia's five-day conflict with Russia, which broke out after Tbilisi launched a surprise attack in early August to reclaim its breakaway region of South Ossetia.

In a show of support for Georgia, which is seeking to join NATO, the United States sent warships to the Caucasus nation to deliver humanitarian aid after the conflict.

But Moscow has expressed concern over the US move, saying the aid shipments could include arms, an allegation Washington denied.