The News in Brief
Wednesday, November 26
Georgia and Ukraine may enter NATO without MAP – US Ambassador
The USA considers the granting of a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) to Georgia and Ukraine is not necessary and stands for the accession of these two countries to NATO without it, US Ambassador to Ukraine William Tailor has stated, RIA Novosti informs.
“All this process of getting a MAP refers to possibilities not actualities. It is so politicized and controversial that it is possible a MAP may be rejected. There are other ways to approach the next stage, which is membership in the alliance. Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic had no MAP, they entered (NATO) as soon as they met the criteria,” the US Ambassador said in his interview with radio station Voice of America in Ukraine.
“Some members of the alliance have given it to understand that neither Ukraine nor Georgia would get MAP in December. If granting a MAP is possible, we would support it. If MAP is impossible, we will search for other ways to do what the Ukrainian people, its leaders and Government want. We support Ukraine’s aspiration and consider it is ready to join NATO now,” the Ambassador said.
A sitting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Foreign Ministers will be held on December 2-3 in Brussels, where it is planned to assess the relations of NATO with Georgia and Ukraine and consider the possibility of granting them MAP. (Black Sea Press)
European Commission expects detailed information on incident in Akhalgori
The European Commission expects detailed information on the incident in Akhalgori, said its representative Christina Homan. As the Georgian party informs, on Sunday the motorcade of the Presidents of Georgia and Poland was fired at from a Russian block post.
“We are much concerned about this incident and expect more information about it,” she told journalists in Brussels. Homan noted that the Georgian and South Ossetian sides had to resolve all issues within the framework of the talks on the security of the Transcaucasus in Geneva. (Black Sea Press)
Threat of resumption of large scale hostilities between Georgia and Russia is obvious – Felgengauer
The threat of the resumption of large scale hostilities between Georgia and Russia is obvious. This was stated on air by military observer and journalist Pevel Felgengauer, who participated in an international seminar on security issues in Tbilisi.
“The threat of the resumption of hostilities is obvious. There are permanent provocations and exchanges of fire in which the sides blame each other. The ceasefire is not stable and such a situation cannot last for a long time,” he said on Imedi TV. “Besides, Russian officials also say that the present situation is not stable and they, of course, blame Georgia’s attempted aggression, and desired accession to NATO for it. They also say that large scale hostilities could resume,” Felgengauer said.
State Minister of Georgia for Reintegration Temur Yakobashvili, noted, while commenting on a statement by a Russian observer that further conflict was possible as Russia had not achieved its aim: “It is the fact that Russia fought not only for Shkhalti and Kurta. Its aim was to overturn Saakashvili, seize Tbilisi and put puppet authorities there. Russia did not achieve this aim,” Yakobashvili stated, noting that “Russia bore the greatest losses, it lost its international image, it suffered a great blow against its economy.”
Military expert Koba Liklidze noted, with regret, that sometimes Felgengauer’s predictions came true. “He said at the end of July that a large scale war between Georgia and Russia would begin and that prediction, regrettably, came true. Now, based on facts he affirms that there is a danger of the resumption of large scale hostilities in spring”, Liklidze stressed.
The international seminar on security issues “Results of Russian-Georgian Conflict: Political Priorities for Europe and the Black Sea Region” has opened at the Sheraton Metekhi Palace hotel. It is organized by NGO New Generation-New Initiative, Tbilisi NATO Information Centre and the Latvian Transatlantic Organization and is promoted by the Defence Ministries of Georgia and Latvia. Georgian and Latvian youth and foreign experts are participating in the seminar, including Vlad Sokor, Pavel Felgengauer, Sergei Konoplev and Darius Yurgelivichus.
The participants will visit Gori and nearby villages that suffered as a result of the Russian aggression. (Black Sea Press)
The USA considers the granting of a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) to Georgia and Ukraine is not necessary and stands for the accession of these two countries to NATO without it, US Ambassador to Ukraine William Tailor has stated, RIA Novosti informs.
“All this process of getting a MAP refers to possibilities not actualities. It is so politicized and controversial that it is possible a MAP may be rejected. There are other ways to approach the next stage, which is membership in the alliance. Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic had no MAP, they entered (NATO) as soon as they met the criteria,” the US Ambassador said in his interview with radio station Voice of America in Ukraine.
“Some members of the alliance have given it to understand that neither Ukraine nor Georgia would get MAP in December. If granting a MAP is possible, we would support it. If MAP is impossible, we will search for other ways to do what the Ukrainian people, its leaders and Government want. We support Ukraine’s aspiration and consider it is ready to join NATO now,” the Ambassador said.
A sitting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Foreign Ministers will be held on December 2-3 in Brussels, where it is planned to assess the relations of NATO with Georgia and Ukraine and consider the possibility of granting them MAP. (Black Sea Press)
European Commission expects detailed information on incident in Akhalgori
The European Commission expects detailed information on the incident in Akhalgori, said its representative Christina Homan. As the Georgian party informs, on Sunday the motorcade of the Presidents of Georgia and Poland was fired at from a Russian block post.
“We are much concerned about this incident and expect more information about it,” she told journalists in Brussels. Homan noted that the Georgian and South Ossetian sides had to resolve all issues within the framework of the talks on the security of the Transcaucasus in Geneva. (Black Sea Press)
Threat of resumption of large scale hostilities between Georgia and Russia is obvious – Felgengauer
The threat of the resumption of large scale hostilities between Georgia and Russia is obvious. This was stated on air by military observer and journalist Pevel Felgengauer, who participated in an international seminar on security issues in Tbilisi.
“The threat of the resumption of hostilities is obvious. There are permanent provocations and exchanges of fire in which the sides blame each other. The ceasefire is not stable and such a situation cannot last for a long time,” he said on Imedi TV. “Besides, Russian officials also say that the present situation is not stable and they, of course, blame Georgia’s attempted aggression, and desired accession to NATO for it. They also say that large scale hostilities could resume,” Felgengauer said.
State Minister of Georgia for Reintegration Temur Yakobashvili, noted, while commenting on a statement by a Russian observer that further conflict was possible as Russia had not achieved its aim: “It is the fact that Russia fought not only for Shkhalti and Kurta. Its aim was to overturn Saakashvili, seize Tbilisi and put puppet authorities there. Russia did not achieve this aim,” Yakobashvili stated, noting that “Russia bore the greatest losses, it lost its international image, it suffered a great blow against its economy.”
Military expert Koba Liklidze noted, with regret, that sometimes Felgengauer’s predictions came true. “He said at the end of July that a large scale war between Georgia and Russia would begin and that prediction, regrettably, came true. Now, based on facts he affirms that there is a danger of the resumption of large scale hostilities in spring”, Liklidze stressed.
The international seminar on security issues “Results of Russian-Georgian Conflict: Political Priorities for Europe and the Black Sea Region” has opened at the Sheraton Metekhi Palace hotel. It is organized by NGO New Generation-New Initiative, Tbilisi NATO Information Centre and the Latvian Transatlantic Organization and is promoted by the Defence Ministries of Georgia and Latvia. Georgian and Latvian youth and foreign experts are participating in the seminar, including Vlad Sokor, Pavel Felgengauer, Sergei Konoplev and Darius Yurgelivichus.
The participants will visit Gori and nearby villages that suffered as a result of the Russian aggression. (Black Sea Press)