US ally Georgia fought a five-day war with Russia in August 2008 when Russian troops poured into the country after fighting broke out between Georgian and separatist forces in South Ossetia.

Obama and his allies in the 28-nation NATO will hold a summit with Russia on Saturday as they seek support from their former Cold War foe for a Europe-wide anti-missile shield.

"I told him that we supported it and we hoped that NATO one day would also result in Russia being more civilized towards its neighbours," Saakashvili told AFP by telephone after his first one-on-one meeting with Obama.

US officials have repeatedly voiced support for Georgia's territorial integrity after the 2008 war.

Following the conflict, Russia recognized South Ossetia and a second breakaway Georgian region called Abkhazia as independent states, a move that has been followed by only a handful of countries.

Infuriating Saakashvili, Russia has since established permanent military bases and deployed hundreds of troops and border guards in the region.

The Georgian leader said 30 percent of his country's territory is still occupied, while there are half a million refugees and displaced people resulting from Russia's actions.

"On the other hand, the way to resolve it is through peaceful dialogue. This peaceful dialogue can also be part of the dialogue that Russia has with NATO and the United States," Saakashvili said.

"There is no other option for us," he added.

"We don't want to turn our country into a battlefield."

Saakashvili said Obama had expressed support for Georgia's territorial integrity and for its aspirations to join NATO.

"We did not expect to get any concrete timeline at this time but I think President Obama was supportive of our NATO aspirations," the Georgian leader said.

NATO leaders agreed at a 2008 summit in the Romanian capital that Georgia and Ukraine would eventually become members of the alliance, but -- under pressure from European leaders wary of alienating Russia -- denied the two countries coveted pre-membership status.

Saakashvili enjoyed extremely close ties with former US president George W. Bush, who famously declared the country a "beacon of liberty" in a 2005 speech to thousands of cheering Georgians in central Tbilisi.

Georgia, which declared independence in April 1991, shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, has even named a main road from the airport after Bush.

Relations between the United States and Georgia cooled under Obama, however, after Saakashvili's international reputation was damaged by a 2007 crackdown on opposition protesters and by his handling of the war with Russia the following year.

earlier related report
NATO launches into new era with fresh 'strategic concept'
Lisbon (AFP) Nov 19, 2010 - NATO adopted Friday a once-in-a-decade mission statement that will guide the alliance through a sea of new and emerging threats.

The 11-page "strategic concept" replaces a version written in 1999, two years before the 9/11 attacks on the United States forced the 28-nation alliance into an intractable war in Afghanistan.

In it, NATO leaders reaffirm the 61-year-old alliance's core principles, foresee a transformation to be better equipped against modern dangers and call for deepening partnerships in a globalised world.

Following are the main points:

ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE

The document "reconfirms the bond between our nations to defend one another against attack, including against new threats to the safety of our citizens."

MISSILE DEFENCE

NATO will "develop the capability to defend our populations and territories against ballistic missile attack as a core element of our collective defence, which contributes to the indivisible security of the alliance."

It will also "actively seek cooperation on missile defence with Russia and other Euro-Atlantic partners."

NUCLEAR WEAPONS

The concept "commits NATO to the goal of creating the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons -- but confirms that, as long as there are nuclear weapons in the world, NATO will remain a nuclear Alliance."

"The circumstances in which any use of nuclear weeapons might have to be contemplated are extremely remote," it said.

TERRORISM

Terrorism is identified as a "direct threat to the security of the citizens of NATO countries, and to international stability and prosperity more broadly." Extremist groups "continue to spread to, and in, areas of strategic importance to the Alliance."

CYBER SECURITY

NATO vows to boost its capability to defend against cyber attacks, which are "becoming more frequent, more organised and more costly in the damage they inflict" and can "reach a threshold that threatens national and Euro-Atlantic prosperity, security and stability."

LESSONS FROM AFGHANISTAN

"The lessons learned from NATO operations, in particular in Afghanistan and the Western Balkans, make it clear that a comprehensive political, civilian and military approach is necessary for effective crisis management."

PARTNERSHIPS

The alliance will seek to "enhance" its partnerships with countries and organisations around the world, including with the United Nations, the European Union and former Cold War foe Russia.

RUSSIAN RELATIONS

"NATO-Russia cooperation is of strategic importance as it contributes to creating a common space of peace, stability and security. NATO poses no threat to Russia."

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