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30.11.-0001
NATO Secretary General to Open Joint Training Center in Georgia
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will visit Georgia next month to open a NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Center in the Vaziani military base, near Tbilisi.
Stoltenberg’s visit was announced by Georgia’s Defense Minister Tinatin Khidasheli in an interview with Spanish news agency EFE, yesterday.
"We have declared that we will participate in the NATO led Resolute Support Mission. It is our political will. The extent of this participation will be decided in talks," the Minister said, adding that eight permanent representatives of NATO will be stationed in Georgia once the center opens.
Minister Khidasheli highlighted that Georgia is a big contributor to NATO led missions along the non-member countries.
“Georgia has contributed hundreds of military personnel joining NATO–led missions in Afghanistan,” she said.
The Minister told EFE that she has positive expectations from the upcoming NATO Warsaw Summit Summit planned for July 2016.
"Three quarters of the citizens of Georgia supported the country's entry into NATO at the 2008 referendum. If the Warsaw Summit does not approve a Membership Action Plan (MAP) it would be a huge disappointment for Georgians," Khidasheli said.
She believes that membership in NATO is the best guarantee for the security of the country.
“For us it is very important and valuable that NATO opened its door to Montenegro,” Minister Khidasheli said, adding it was a clear sign that NATO had maintained its open door policy.
Minister Khidasheli also announced her upcoming visit to the United States (US) in the middle of August. Before the visit by NATO high officials to Georgia, she will meet her American counterpart Ashton Carter in the US to discuss about “all issues, including NATO.”
Tamar Svanidze
06 July 2015 13:21