US President George W. Bush said in Tbilisi on Tuesday that the Russian government is working to fulfill the obligations under an earlier agreement with Georgia to close its military bases there, the Interfax news agency reported from Tbilisi.

Bush, who paid a one-day visit to Georgia, told a press conference that he had discussed this issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his recent visit to Moscow and knew that Russia has a desire to work with Georgia on realizing the Istanbul agreements that stipulate the withdrawal of the bases from there.

The US president said to resolve the issue there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

At the same time, Bush expressed satisfaction with Georgia's plans to join NATO, hoping Georgia early to be a member of the organization. He also thanked Georgia for sending troops to Iraq.

Referring to the two breakaway regions in Georgia, Bush said the Georgian leadership has a strategy for finding peaceful settlements to Georgia's conflicts with its Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Bush also offered help in seeking solutions to the two conflicts, saying that Washington was willing to intensively cooperate with international organizations to end these troubles.

He praised Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's initiative to grant autonomy to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The US president arrived in Tbilisi on Monday evening to pay the first visit to Georgia.

(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2005)