Georgia to be given a date of NATO membership

“It’s time for Georgia to be given a particular date of its membership in NATO membership,” former Director of Georgia’s Security Analytical Center David Smith has stated.

As Voice of America Georgian Office reports, Smith has focused on Georgia’s achievements and its integration in Euro-Atlantic structures.

“At present, Georgia can be proud of its successful democracy, developed economy and reforms. Indeed, it’s time for the country to become a member of NATO and then the EU. This is the interest of not only Georgia but U.S. and NATO-member countries. Georgia has fulfilled all the given recommendations. It’s time for NATO to make a concrete decision over Georgia,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, in his recent interview for Georgia’s Public Broadcaster, James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy and NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, said Georgia’s NATO membership is a “political decision” and was never dependent only on Georgia’s efforts or reforms.

“ We should make the NATO-Georgia Substantial Package more comprehensive and tangible for Georgia to be ready for the NATO membership. Membership in the alliance is a political decision and is not dependent only on your Armed Forces or reforms.

“We should do now what we can and what we can control,” the NATO official said.

Appathurai said compared to the previous NATO Summit, there have not been any serious changes in the geopolitical situation, and so it is unlikely that NATO members views about Georgia’s NATO membership will be any different.

At the same time, NATO claims it retains an 'open door policy', which implies giving a chance to Georgia to become a NATO member.

However, it is just a general decision and no one knows when this ‘one day’ might come when Georgia gains a tangible result from its NATO aspirations.

It’s more likely that this year Warsaw Summit Georgia gains an empowered Substantial Package and not a Membership Action Plan (MAP).