U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said during his visit to Georgia on Wednesday that the United States "stands with" the former Soviet republic a year after its war with Russia.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, left, meets Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, July 21, 2009. Biden arrived in Ukraine for a three-day working visit.[Olexander Prokopenko/CCTV/AP Photo/Pool]

Biden, who flew to Georgia from Ukraine, is on a mission to reassure both countries that the US will not abandon them as President Barack Obama seeks to improve badly strained ties with Russia.

He said the Obama administration stands firmly with the country.

Joe Biden, said, "The reason President Obama asked me to come back, was to send an unequivocal, clear, simple message to all who will listen, and those who even don't want to listen, that America stands with you at this moment and will continue to stand with you."

Biden's message of support was balanced by calling on the Georgian government to further encourage democracy.

Earlier on Wednesday, thousands of protesters gathered in Tbilisi to denounce government policies, as they blame President Mikhail Saakashvili for the disastrous war with Russia and accuse him of riding roughshod over democratic rights.

Nino Burjanadze, Georgian Opposition Leader, said, "I am more than confident that one of the main subjects Mr Biden will raise will be the process of democratization of Georgia, because our allies in the US and other countries do know very well that it is impossible to have a stable country without democracy."

It is unclear how far the US is prepared to go to support Georgia without undermining cooperation with Russia on issues from arms control to Afghanistan.

The US has pledged to support NATO membership for Georgia as well as Ukraine.

(CCTV July 23, 2009)