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Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili confirmed on Friday that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has no plans to station troops on Georgian territory.
"I have already said many times and confirm that no NATO troops, including US troops, will be stationed on Georgian territory," Saakashvili told a press conference here.
Saakashvili, who arrived in Moscow earlier on Friday, said that Georgia is building its own army and is hoping for help from Russia for this.
"Russia should not feel any threats from Georgian territory because stability in Russia is a factor of stability in Georgia," he said.
The former Soviet Caucasus republic, which has longed for joining the US-led transatlantic military alliance, has repeatedly called on Russia to withdraw its remaining military bases from Georgia and vowed not to station troops of other countries.
So far, the two neighbors have not reached any agreement on the dates of the withdrawal of the remaining bases.
Speaking about the prospects for creating a Russian-Georgian anti-terrorist center, Saakashvili said it should become "a serious force for preventing and fighting terrorism."
"We would like to rid the region of all kinds of terrorist movements, which pose serious threat to Georgia, as they do to Russia," Saakashvili said.
Saakashvili said the structure and location of this center "should be determined through negotiations."
(Xinhua News Agency July 3, 2004)
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