Georgia is Waiting for a Signal from the West, Defense Minister Publishes for WSJ

Georgia’s Defense Minister has published a letter to the Wall Street Journal and highlighted that a country is ready to embrace NATO needs to know it will be welcomed.

Minister Tinatin Khidasheli emphasized that NATO must agree on a membership action plan for Georgia at the next Warsaw Summit, or declare that such a plan is no longer a step toward eventual membership. She highlighted that Georgia is one of the largest contributors to the NATO peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan. Also, Georgia is the second-largest troop contribution to the EU military mission in the Central African Republic.

“Georgia’s security is based on the principles of engagement and partnership. In a more connected world, we need to engage. We simply cannot turn inwards and pretend conflicts in other parts of the world don’t affect us. And in a world where power is more fractured, global security can only be the result of a collective effort. Not one country, not even the United States, can act alone as a global policeman,” Khidasheli said.

“We are ready for deeper EU and NATO integration,” she confirms.
At the end of her letter, Khidasheli highlighted that Georgia is a clear regional leader and a rare example of what the West can achieve through soft power.

PHOTO: ZURAB KURTSIKIDZE/EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY