Saved by Sarkozy, Dick Cheney Limps into Georgia

August 26, 2008

Cheney to Visit Georgia Next Week

By GRAHAM BOWLEY

Vice President Dick Cheney will visit Georgia next week, the White House announced Monday, in the highest level diplomatic visit by the United States to the region since Russia’s military operations began.

President Bush asked Mr. Cheney to visit the region from Sept. 2, the White House said. He will stop in Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Italy as well as Georgia to discuss the crisis.

Meanwhile, both houses of Russia’s Parliament voted unanimously on Monday to ask President Dmitri A. Medvedev to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two separatist enclaves that sparked the crisis. But the measure, which requires the president’s approval to take effect, was seen as symbolic.

France called an emergency summit meeting of the European Union for next Monday to discuss “the future of relations with Russia” and aid to Georgia, according to a statement on Sunday from the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy.

The…