Georgia Has All Necessary Instruments to Join NATO, Affirms Chairman of the Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Shalva Papuashvili, the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, said that the country possesses all the necessary instruments to join NATO and is fully compatible with NATO from a military perspective.
Papuashvili stated that NATO has no reason to prevent Georgia from advancing to the next stage in terms of the country's institutional development.
"When it comes to NATO membership, Russia's repeated aggression and the current regional situation in the European Union have shown us that if there is a border of peace anywhere, it is within NATO. We clearly see where the line of peace is drawn. Therefore, it is important that the aspirations of our people, in this case Georgia and the Georgian people, be covered by NATO's security umbrella and have an appropriate response from NATO. While it was stated in 2008 that the door to NATO is open, the open-door policy has remained just that, with little progress made. It is crucial to make advancements in this regard. Different arguments have been used at different times to justify the decision not to grant the accession plan or move to the next stage. However, I believe that all these questions have already been answered. From a geopolitical standpoint, NATO member states themselves have also become convinced of the importance of greater clarity. Ambiguity, such as what we have experienced since 2008, only exacerbates the risks. More clarity is necessary. Concerning the readiness of states themselves in relation to Georgia, despite discussions about various reforms, I believe this is more of an excuse than a reason. In terms of our institutional development, NATO has no reason to withhold progress to the next stage," Papuashvili said.
Papuashvili highlighted that reliable international studies demonstrate Georgia's superiority over numerous NATO member countries in various areas. According to the Chairman, Georgia surpasses 15 NATO member countries in transparency, the fight against corruption, and economic freedom indices. Furthermore, Georgia ranks ahead of four NATO member countries in the rule of law and justice index. Thus, Papuashvili argued that the assertion that Georgia lacks readiness for the next stage based on its democratic institutions is merely an excuse, lacking validity.
"In terms of military readiness, 80 percent of our military contingent has participated in various NATO events, including international missions, and is fully compatible with NATO standards. This has been acknowledged by NATO itself. Furthermore, our contribution to security issues has at times exceeded that of certain NATO member states. As an example, I would like to mention the Afghanistan mission, where Georgia had the highest per capita contribution with its contingent and ranked fourth in absolute numbers. Some countries that are particularly critical of Georgia in this regard didn't even send a tenth of the contingent that Georgia did to Afghanistan. Georgia has consistently fought for common values and peace, often exceeding the efforts of NATO member countries. It is therefore crucial that Georgia's commitment to NATO and its contributions be duly appreciated," stated Papuashvili.
Regarding the issue of Membership Action Plan (MAP), Papuashvili suggested that it has been repeatedly stated in relation to Georgia, and it is documented that Georgia possesses all the necessary tools to become a NATO member.
"We have all the relevant tools for the country to prepare and become a NATO member. Just like Finland and possibly soon Sweden, we have seen that these tools are merely conditional, with the readiness of the country and the political decision being the most important factors. If these two aspects are present, there is no need for MAP or other tools. The necessity of MAP for Georgia has been a matter of debate for a long time, and it has been explicitly acknowledged that Georgia has all the tools required to join NATO," Shalva Papuashvili said.
