SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Russia's actions in recent weeks have clearly cast grave doubts on its intentions, its purposes, and its reliability as an international partner. It is critically important at this time of uncertainty that we are consulting and coordinating very closely with our friends, especially those who literally are living in the shadow of Russia's recent power play.

But also with our allies throughout Europe, the West, and the broader international community, Russia's actions pose a serious challenge to us all. They merit and demand a unified response from the free world -- one that is based on a sober appreciation of the new realities created by recent events; that responds thoughtfully but with firmness and resolve to the immediate needs of this crisis; but that also provides a long-term strategic framework going forward that will responsibly protect and advance our interests and values in the months and years ahead.

And this includes, I should stress, our fervent hope that Russia's leaders will over time reconsider the costs, benefits and wisdom of Russia's recent behavior, and move to help us reestablish a basis for picking up again the consistent course that every American President since the end of the Cold War has placed near the very top of his agenda -- and that is to deepen the U.S.-Russian relationship, to lead the effort to promote Russia's integration into the international community as a full and equal partner, and to help build a Europe that is undivided and committed to a common set of principles, including democracy, the rule of law, and respect for the sovereignty and independence of all its members, regardless of their size, power or geographic disposition.

Let me now quickly run through the basics of each of the stops. The centerpiece of the visit to Baku on Wednesday will be a meeting and dinner with President Aliyev and his team. As I indicated earlier, the Vice President has known President Aliyev for quite some time. And he met the current President Aliyev when he was, again, I think, Azerbaijan's Minister of Oil. When President Aliyev made a working visit to Washington a few years ago, the Vice President hosted him for lunch at the Vice President's residence.

In addition to their discussion of recent events in Georgia, there are a number of other important topics on the U.S.-Azerbaijan agenda. Azerbaijan has been an important partner in the war on terror, not only through its cooperation on counterterrorism, but in contributing troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq. I think the Vice President will want to express America's appreciation for that assistance.

I also expect that energy will be a major topic of conversation, obviously, especially in light of the global energy situation, currently. The importance of working with Azerbaijan to help its people develop their energy resources and reliably bring them to market is a very strong common interest, not just for the United States but for all the nations of Europe, as well, as they plan for their own energy futures.

Other important issues in Azerbaijan include the need to resolve peacefully the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh; the international community's concerns with respect to Iran; and our continued support for efforts to strengthen democracy and the rule of law in Azerbaijan, where I believe they're scheduled to hold a presidential election in the near future.

In Georgia on Thursday, the Vice President's time will obviously be consumed assessing with President Saakashvili and his team the aftermath and implications of this crisis. Again, the Vice President knows President Saakashvili well. They have spoken by phone on at least a couple of occasions since the outbreak of this crisis.

As you know, at the President's direction, Secretary Gates has been overseeing a significant U.S. relief effort to address the immediate humanitarian needs of the Georgian people. The Vice President wants to get a first-hand assessment of the heroic job being done by U.S. personnel, as well as how the overall international relief operations are progressing in light of the continued difficult circumstances on the ground.

Finally, I'm sure that the Vice President and President Saakashvili will also look beyond the immediate situation and discuss in depth the need for a comprehensive long-term strategy by the international community to help Georgia recover and rebuild, including the critical task of supporting the democratic choice of the Georgian people to integrate further with Euro-Atlantic institutions, including NATO.

In Ukraine, the Vice President arrives on Thursday night, and he's currently scheduled to attend a private dinner with Mrs. Cheney and President Yushchenko and his wife. He'll then hold a working meeting with President Yushchenko on Friday, as well as a meeting with Prime Minister Tymoshenko. Here, again, the Vice President knows these leaders quite well, especially President Yushchenko who he's met several times since Ukraine's Orange Revolution, and spoken to by phone on numerous occasions.

Again, in addition to the situation in Georgia and reaffirming the great importance we place on our relations with Ukraine, I think the Vice President will want to thank Ukraine for its support in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. And despite great challenges, Ukraine continues to develop its democracy and its economy, and to seek deeper integration with Euro-Atlantic institutions, including NATO. The United States has long supported Ukraine in these efforts, and we will want to continue doing so, going forward.

Finally, in Italy, there are two parts to the visit. The first consists of the Vice President's appearance at the Ambrosetti Conference at Lake Como, where he's agreed to give a speech that will look at some of the key challenges facing the Trans-Atlantic alliance. The Vice President has received numerous invitations over the last several years to attend this conference, and this trip provided a good opportunity, finally, to accept.

After Lake Como, he's off to Rome for discussions on Monday and Tuesday with Italy, our longtime ally and key NATO and G8 partner. The Vice President will hold meetings with both the Italian President and Prime Minister, and will discuss a full range of issues on our common agenda -- from the crisis in Georgia to the situation in the Middle East, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran.

Why don't I stop there, and see if there are questions.

seen at 09:00, 28 August in Whitehouse Press Briefings. Email this to a friend.
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