NATO membership possible with occupied territories

Georgia’s President, Giorgi Margvelashvili, says there have been several examples in the history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) when countries with occupied territories and disputed borders were accepted into the alliance.

Margvelashvili made his comments at last week’s Tbilisi Strategic Discussion on security issues, initiated by the President and organised by the National Security Council.

Margvelashvili stressed that NATO membership for the countries with certain territorial problems turned out to be beneficial for the alliance, for the countries accepted into NATO and for Russia as well, despite Moscow’s opposition to NATO expansion.

Russia has several times stressed NATO-Georgia military exercises “created a threat” to regional security.

Of course, such statements by Russia are deeply ironic when the main cause of instability in the region is mainly Russia’s actions.

It is a country which occupies territories of Georgia and Ukraine and signs illegal military deals with representatives of the occupied territories.

With regards to membership in the alliance for a country with occupied territories, this is likely to happen if the alliance reaches a political decision about the issue.

Now, even in the event that Georgia meets all NATO demands and reaches standards exceeding even those of NATO members, Georgia’s NATO membership would be fully dependent on the political decision.

Unfortunately, the political decision still seems to be far away, as Georgia is even refused a Membership Action Plan (MAP).

Such situation creates the sense of frustration and disappointment in the population, because everybody remembers that Georgia applied for NATO membership to secure its safety and guarantee that Russia would not attack Georgia. However NATO decision to refuse Georgia receiving MAP at NATO Bucharest Summit on April 2008 created favourable conditions for Russia which fulfilled its aggressive plans and disintegrated Georgia snatching to territories of Georgia and recognising them as independent states.