Jens Stoltenberg: US supports Georgia's NATO membership

"I know that President Biden strongly supports the transatlantic bond, and Georgia is part of that transatlantic bond," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a news conference with President Zurabishvili.

As part of her official visit to Brussels, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili met Jens Stoltenberg ahead of the NATO-Georgia Commission meeting. 

Stoltenberg stressed that NATO and Georgia are long-standing partners and that there is a room for closer cooperation.

“Despite the pandemic, we have been able to continue strengthening our political and practical cooperation. We're now looking into how we can further strengthen that cooperation”, he said.

The Secretary General stressed some of the key priorities of NATO-Georgia relations, including but not limited to the implementation of secure communications projects, continued support to the joint training and enhancing maritime support.

"What Georgia can do is continue implementing reforms. We need strong democratic institutions. We need to make sure that we have secure, democratic institutions. And of course, civilian control over the military and intelligence services.  We're working together in this direction and the key task for Georgia is to continue implementing reforms as it moves towards NATO membership," - said Stoltenberg.

Stoltenberg also emphasized yesterday’s verdict by the European Court of Human Rights concerning Georgia-Russia war case, confirming that Russia is responsible for human rights violations in occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia..

“This only strengthens our call for Russia to comply with international law and respect Georgia’s territorial integrity,” he said.