Rice announces $1 bn US aid for Georgia

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced on Wednesday a one-billion-dollar (690 million euro) aid package for Georgia after its conflict with Russia, of which 570 million will be delivered before the end of the year.

President George W Bush was to offer more details of the package in a written statement later in the day, a senior US official earlier told media, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Washington already has provided roughly 30 million dollars in emergency humanitarian aid to the former Soviet republic since the conflict flared up in early August, US officials say.