39th Meeting of the State Commission for Coordinating Georgia's Integration into NATO is held

The Meeting of the State Commission for Coordinating Georgia's Integration into NATO was led by Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili on November 8th. Some changes pertaining to the composition of the State Commission were made. The State Commission is now composed of the following members:

Chairman of the State Commission: the Prime Minister of Georgia.

Deputy Chairman of the State Commission : the State Minister for Integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.

Members of the State Commission are: the Minister of Finance; the Minister of Justice; the Minister of Education and Science; the Minister of Foreign Affairs; the State Minister for Reintegration; the Minister of the Interior; the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development; the Minister of Defense; the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces; the Minister of Penitentiaries, Probation and Legal Assistance; the Minister for Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Resettlement and Refugees; the Minister of the Environment; the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

The Secretary of the State Commission is the Deputy State Minister for Integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.

The following inter-agency groups have also been established within the State Commission: Politics and Security; Economic; Defense; Resources and Legal issues.

The government’s decree also requests the participation of the National Security Council Secretary and the Chairman of the Supreme Court of Georgia in the State Commission's activities. However, neither of these officials attended the meeting held in the government chancellery.

The major issues the State Commission discussed were the annual state program integration with NATO and the NATO-Georgia Commission meetings. The NATO-Georgia Commission meetings are important as they serve as a forum for political consultations between NATO and Georgia.

Alexi Petriashvili, State Minister for Integration into European and Euro-Atlantic Structures, announced at a press conference that all ministers who participate in commission activities receive sealed documents which contain future action plans for the ministries. The information is confidential and remains classified.

Alexi Petriashvili also called on the opposition to surrender any illusions that Georgia will receive a MAP (Membership Action Plan) in the near future. The minister explained that he wants everyone to have clear expectations about NATO membership. Petriashvili said that the State Commission has very close contacts with high-ranking NATO officials. The new government is involved in intensive talks with NATO member countries and diplomats are working on bringing Georgia closer to NATO step by step.