Canadian PM lauds Georgia ties

Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with his Georgian counterpart Nika Gilauri here Monday and praised bilateral ties. "We have good relations with your country, which has been a strong partner, particularly a partner with NATO," Harper was quoted by his office as saying. "We really do appreciate that." The two leaders didn't talk to the press, neither did they issue any communique. Canada has been building strong military and political ties with the Caucasian nation and has been backing Georgia's bid for NATO membership. Two-way high-level exchange was frequent in recent years, including Harper's meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili during NATO Lisbon summit in November 2010. Several high-ranking Canadian delegations visited the South Caucasus country in 2008. Canada also provided some 2.94 million U.S. dollars in humanitarian assistance to Georgia.