JTA - 02.27.2004

Georgia prez: help me help you 

(JTA) — The new president of Georgia, Mikhail Saakashvili, wants to strengthen ties with Israel and the West. In a meeting with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Thursday, Saakashvili asked Jewish leaders to help his country strengthen business ties between Georgia and the West and Israel. A graduate of Columbia University Law School, the 36-year-old leader said he planned to rid Georgian society of the violence and corruption that has stymied foreign investment. He condemned Islamic terror, saying: "You cannot negotiate with terrorists," and called Georgia and Israel "the closest of friends." He called American Jews "the best of Americans" for their love of country and concern for events abroad.