U.S. To Announce $1 Billion In Aid For Georgia

U.S. President George W. Bush is set to announce a $1 billion aid package for Georgia to help rebuild the Caucasus country after last month's conflict with Russia.

"The New York Times" quotes a Bush administration official as saying the package is aimed at rebuilding Georgia's infrastructure and its economy.

The planned assistance to Georgia would stretch over several years, Reuters quotes a U.S. official as saying.

The move comes as U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Azerbaijan  for the first leg of a weeklong regional tour.

Cheney, who has strongly criticized Russia for moving forces into Georgia, will then head to Tbilisi and from there to Kyiv.

Both Georgia and Ukraine have pro-Western governments which are defying Moscow by seeking membership of NATO.