Cheney gives Caucasus allies message of support

BAKU (Reuters) - The United States has a deep interest in the wellbeing of its allies in the Caucasus region, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said on Wednesday during a visit to Azerbaijan.

"We've met this evening in the shadow of the recent Russian invasion of Georgia," Cheney told reporters as he sat next to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev.

"President Bush has sent me here with a clear and simple message for the people of Azerbaijan and the entire region: the United States has a deep and abiding interest in your well-being and security."

Cheney said the united States believed it must work with Azerbaijan on additional energy export routes.

"The United States strongly believes that together with the nations of Europe, including Turkey, we must work with Azerbaijan and other countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia on additional routes for energy exports that ensure the free flow of resources," Cheney said.

The United States has condemned Russia for sending troops and tanks into Georgia last month. Moscow says Washington helped cause the conflict by failing to prevent its ally Georgia from trying to retake the rebel region of South Ossetia by force.

(Reporting by Tabassum Zakaria, writing by Guy Faulconbridge, editing by Andrew Dobbie)