FM: Updated Substantial NATO-Georgia Package Approved at Ministerial

NATO Foreign Ministers and Georgia approved the updated Substantial NATO-Georgia Package at the Ministerial Meeting in Brussels on December 1 and 2, which further strengthens support for Georgia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs David Zalkaliani told IMEDI TV. 

"The essential NATO-Georgia package, which is updated and strengthened, was approved at the Ministerial. The old package was adopted at the Wales Summit in 2014, which included 14 programs that strengthen Georgia's defense capabilities and bring it closer to NATO. This decision is a step forward and a tangible result. Last year, when we hosted the NATO-Georgia Commission in Batumi, it was decided that the existing package needed to be updated, and this was crowned today when we acquired new specific components for this package," said David Zalkaliani.

The Minister pointed out that the essential package contains strengthened military components, which will serve to strengthen Georgia's defense capabilities.

"This package primarily envisages strengthening Georgia's defense capabilities, in particular: further strengthening the NATO-Georgia Joint Training Center and expanding its capabilities and more involvement of NATO partners in the issue of Black Sea security, which involves more "port calls" [entry of NATO ships into Georgian ports], and enhanced exercises and alignment with the standards of our naval alliance. The updated package envisages secure communication, as it is important for us to have secure communication channels with NATO, while in today's world there are cyber-attacks and various hybrid threats," he said.

He added that considering the coronavirus pandemic, the essential package includes military-medical cooperation between Georgian and NATO partners. 

At a press conference after the Ministerial, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that relations with Georgia, including in the context of Black Sea security, are deepening and strengthening, both through concrete practical actions and political support.

"We have a training center in Georgia, I myself have visited this center and I have seen how Georgian and allied officers work together. We cooperate in the exchange of air and radar information and in the fight against hybrid threats. The Allies stand ready to provide additional practical support to Georgia in a number of areas. One of NATO's 2030 goals is to strengthen our partnership by working with countries like Georgia. This is the message from today's meeting," Stoltenberg said.

The Ministerial was held in Brussels over two days. A number of the parties involved in it, due to the coronavirus pandemic, attended remotely.