US to pay for last time so Georgians don't freeze in winter

US Ambassador to Georgia Richard Miles said today that the US will allocate money for the last time to finance a heating assistance program for the poor in Georgia. 'In the future, Georgia's government would have to cope with the problem itself,' he said.

This year the poor of Georgia will receive USD six million for heating expenses. The money will be transferred to four different heating companies including TELASI. Russia's United Energy Systems owns a 7% stake in TELASI. TELASI General Director Dangiras Mikolayunas said his company will receive USD 2 million, which will be a great help to the poor of Tbilisi.

In spite of the fact that the US thinks the Georgian government should better cope with providing for its citizens, the US is allocating USD 21 million this year to help the Georgian government pay its debts including wages and pensions.