It is an interesting, but not surprising, development that the US is planning a new initiative to be the negotiating go-between for Georgia and Russia over the separatist enclaves of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These two enclaves broke away during territorial fighting that ensued after the break-up of the Soviet Union. The Georgian government believes that Russia is backing the separatists with military support and by not reigning in criminal activities there. One forum for the peace-making process will be at a ministerial meeting of the OSCE in December.

The US is supporting Georgia as they are seen as an ally and a democratic regime that came into being after the peaceful Rose Revolution. The US government knows that the Caucasus region is crucial because of the ethnic and religious fault lines, potential for Islamic extremism or autocratic regimes, and proximity to even more strategic and volatile regions. They would probably court Georgia regardless and would prefer that other countries in the region support the Georgian model.