The News in Brief
Wednesday, May 27
NATO's 28 member countries will decide on membership for Georgia and Ukraine - Jens Stoltenberg
NATO's 28 member countries will make the decision on Georgia and Ukraine's membership, - said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in his interview with "Dozhd " media outlet.
He said that no country has the right to veto the decisions of NATO and prevent independent states from integrating with the alliance. Stoltenberg also stated that Russia's annexation of the eastern part of the Ukrainian territory and its attempt to destabilize are Ukraine unacceptable.
The Secretary-General said that if Ukraine makes a NATO membership bid, the issue will be considered, just like all the other cases.
“Significant portions of Ukraine have been annexed by Russia, but like all countries, it has a right to ask for help. NATO expresses political support to Kiev and will help with its military reforms,” said Stoltenberg. (IPN)
Defense Minister Visits Georgian Troops in Afghanistan
Georgian Defense Minister, Tina Khidasheli, is visiting Georgian troops serving in Afghanistan.
This is her first foreign trip since becoming defense minister earlier this month.
The Defense Minister marks Georgia’s Independence Day on May 26 with Georgian soldiers in Afghanistan.
“I want to congratulate Georgian soldiers from here, Afghanistan, where we prove that Georgia struggles for global security alongside with the civilized world,” she said in a video address from Kabul aired during the oath-taking ceremony of up to 200 soldiers on Freedom Square in Tbilisi – one of the main ceremonies, attended by the President, PM and other officials, marking the Independence Day.
Georgia is the second largest troop contributor to the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan with about 885 servicemen.
They are deployed at the Resolute Support mission headquarters in Kabul; as well as in the Bagram Airfield and at the German army’s Camp Marmal in Mazar-i-Sharif.
Georgian troops’ duties focus on security and rapid reaction force. (Civil.ge)
Alasania Opens Party Office in Batumi
Leader of the Free Democrats party Irakli Alasania has opened the office of his party in Batumi, Adjara region of Georgia.
The opening ceremony was attended by other leaders of the party. Sulkhan Ghlonti has been elected as the chairman of the Batumi district organization.
Alasania made comment about the recent economic situation in the country saying that it is stagnation and noted that the Free Democrats will present the plan for the country’s economic development in the near future. (Frontnews)
75 foreign diplomats face barbed wire 'border'
Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has hosted a diplomatic tour where non-resident and resident Ambassadors accredited in Georgia visited the occupation line and found themselves facing barbed wire fences.
Diplomats from 75 countries visited Georgia within the diplomatic tour for the third time, while 22 non-resident Ambassadors arrived in Georgia within the framework of the tour.
Within the tour, the Ambassadors visited the occupation line near Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, a breakaway region of Georgia which is now occupied by Russia. There they witnessed the difficult conditions of how locals live in the conflict zone.
Visit to the barbed wired zone seems to be impressive for the foreign diplomats.
This year’s tour was fully dedicated to Georgia’s seaside. The diplomats visited Batumi, Georgia’s Black Sea coastal city, where the local government briefed guests of the region’s tourist and investment potential.
Initially the diplomats took a train from Gori to Batumi, which informed them about the operations of Georgian railways.
The Foreign Ministry said these kinds of tours were a good opportunity for diplomats to get a better idea of the situation in the country. (Agenda.ge)
NATO's 28 member countries will make the decision on Georgia and Ukraine's membership, - said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in his interview with "Dozhd " media outlet.
He said that no country has the right to veto the decisions of NATO and prevent independent states from integrating with the alliance. Stoltenberg also stated that Russia's annexation of the eastern part of the Ukrainian territory and its attempt to destabilize are Ukraine unacceptable.
The Secretary-General said that if Ukraine makes a NATO membership bid, the issue will be considered, just like all the other cases.
“Significant portions of Ukraine have been annexed by Russia, but like all countries, it has a right to ask for help. NATO expresses political support to Kiev and will help with its military reforms,” said Stoltenberg. (IPN)
Defense Minister Visits Georgian Troops in Afghanistan
Georgian Defense Minister, Tina Khidasheli, is visiting Georgian troops serving in Afghanistan.
This is her first foreign trip since becoming defense minister earlier this month.
The Defense Minister marks Georgia’s Independence Day on May 26 with Georgian soldiers in Afghanistan.
“I want to congratulate Georgian soldiers from here, Afghanistan, where we prove that Georgia struggles for global security alongside with the civilized world,” she said in a video address from Kabul aired during the oath-taking ceremony of up to 200 soldiers on Freedom Square in Tbilisi – one of the main ceremonies, attended by the President, PM and other officials, marking the Independence Day.
Georgia is the second largest troop contributor to the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan with about 885 servicemen.
They are deployed at the Resolute Support mission headquarters in Kabul; as well as in the Bagram Airfield and at the German army’s Camp Marmal in Mazar-i-Sharif.
Georgian troops’ duties focus on security and rapid reaction force. (Civil.ge)
Alasania Opens Party Office in Batumi
Leader of the Free Democrats party Irakli Alasania has opened the office of his party in Batumi, Adjara region of Georgia.
The opening ceremony was attended by other leaders of the party. Sulkhan Ghlonti has been elected as the chairman of the Batumi district organization.
Alasania made comment about the recent economic situation in the country saying that it is stagnation and noted that the Free Democrats will present the plan for the country’s economic development in the near future. (Frontnews)
75 foreign diplomats face barbed wire 'border'
Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has hosted a diplomatic tour where non-resident and resident Ambassadors accredited in Georgia visited the occupation line and found themselves facing barbed wire fences.
Diplomats from 75 countries visited Georgia within the diplomatic tour for the third time, while 22 non-resident Ambassadors arrived in Georgia within the framework of the tour.
Within the tour, the Ambassadors visited the occupation line near Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, a breakaway region of Georgia which is now occupied by Russia. There they witnessed the difficult conditions of how locals live in the conflict zone.
Visit to the barbed wired zone seems to be impressive for the foreign diplomats.
This year’s tour was fully dedicated to Georgia’s seaside. The diplomats visited Batumi, Georgia’s Black Sea coastal city, where the local government briefed guests of the region’s tourist and investment potential.
Initially the diplomats took a train from Gori to Batumi, which informed them about the operations of Georgian railways.
The Foreign Ministry said these kinds of tours were a good opportunity for diplomats to get a better idea of the situation in the country. (Agenda.ge)