Foreign Ministry says NATO report highlights Georgia’s importance
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, March 15
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry says the report of the NATO Secretary General names Georgia as one of the alliance’s most significant partners.
The ministry says the report was published on March 13 2017, and refers to the alliance’s activity throughout last year.
“According to the report, Georgia is a NATO-aspirant country as well as one of its most important partners, contributing greatly to the NATO Resolute Support Mission,” Georgia’s ministry says.
The report reads in December 2015, Montenegro was invited to begin accession talks to join NATO. These talks were completed in spring 2016, and the allies signed the Accession Protocol on 19 May 2016.
“Montenegro’s membership will enhance the security of the Western Balkans region, an area of key importance to the Alliance. The invitation to Montenegro is a clear sign that NATO’s door remains open to those countries that want to join and that meet the criteria of membership.”
“Work continues with other countries that aspire to join the alliance – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – to help them prepare for NATO membership. NATO has a strong programme of cooperation with each aspiring member state to help it carry out the reforms necessary for membership,” the report reads.
According to the report, defence capacity building for Georgia is provided through the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package.
The package includes the establishment of a Joint Training and Evaluation Centre, a Defence Institution Building School, and a Logistics Facility. It also provides expert advice in the areas of acquisition, strategic and operational plans, Special Operations Forces, military police, cyber defence, maritime security, aviation, air defence and strategic communications.
“The package also covers support and contributions to NATO exercises in Georgia, which are open to partners. At the Warsaw Summit in 2016, NATO leaders agreed on additional practical ways to intensify capacity-building support to Georgia, including through support to Georgia’s crisis management capabilities.”
The document also emphasizes Georgia’s significant contribution to providing international security saying Georgia is the biggest contributor among the non-member countries, having 870 military servicemen involved in the mission.
