Washington, Nov 26: Following the resignation of President Eduard Shevardnadze, the United States is stepping in to help the transition government in Georgia, a country of enormous strategic value to Washington for its location on key oil lines. Washington is openly offering support to the new government, even at the risk of offending Russia, the regional power.

Georgia is of huge strategic importance to international oil companies including US, British and Russian giants because it straddles the oil route that begins in crude-rich Azerbaijan and ends in Turkey and its outlets to western markets. The United States yesterday announced it was sending an interagency team to Georgia next week to help in the transition of power.

The team "will discuss with the interim government how we can help them prepare for upcoming elections and work on other issues of critical importance to Georgia," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher. The legislature in Tiblisi announced yesterday that it would organise presidential elections for January 4. Bureau Report