Abkhazia Institute for Social and Economic Research

WASHINGTON: President Bush is making certain that he would make efforts to put Georgia on a NATO membership track at the alliance's summit next month.

Mikhail Saakashvili (SAH-kahsh-veeli) is visiting Washington and appeared with Bush after a White House meeting. Saakashvili anticipates that NATO will come to a decission at the summit in Bucharest to allow Georgia to go in with a program that could lead to membership.

Bush says that in case Georgia is invited, both NATO and Georgia would benefit. He says: "That's a message that I will be taking to Bucharest soon."

The republic's bid will hinge on winning unanimous support of the alliance's 26 member countries.