NATO Ready to Provide Georgia with Tools for Eventual Membership

By Gvantsa Gabekhadze

Thursday, December 7

Stoltenberg praised Georgia for its commitment to international security and NATO alliance.

Georgia’s Foreign Minister Janelidze attended NATO Foreign Ministerial meetings in Brussels.

(BRUSSELS) -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the alliance is “fully committed” to providing Georgia with the necessary tools it needs for eventual NATO membership.

The statement came shortly after the conclusion of NATO Ministerial-level meetings in Brussels on December 5-6, attended by Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze.

Stoltenberg praised Georgia’s commitment to the alliance and its “many contributions” to Euro-Atlantic security, singling out Tbilisi’s contributions in Afghanistan, where Georgia is the largest non-NATO contributor.

NATO ministers discussed further cooperation with Georgia, including a joint military exercise set for 2019.

“We continue to implement the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package... we are making impressive progress,” said Stoltenberg, adding, “We remain concerned by Russia’s deepening relations with Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions. We call on Russia to end its recognition of these regions and withdraw its forces from Georgian territory.”