FM Janelidze: Georgia is an Important Global Coalition Partner

INTERVIEW

Voice of America met the Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mikheil Janelidze State-side.

What is Georgia’s role in the anti-islamic state global coalition, and what is its level of involvement?

Georgia joined the global coalition at its founding in 2014. My visit to the global summit in Washington DC, as well as Georgia’s participation in coalition efforts, is an affirmation of our commitment and contribution to global and regional security. After becoming part of the Coalition, we undertook legislative reforms inside the country as well as institutional reforms to ensure our border security and the added safety of the country. By doing so, we also helped bolster regional security.

How is Georgia’s relationship with the Trump administration / US government at this point?

Fortunately, we have cultivated a very good relationship, an active one, with the current US administration. I was among the few foreign ministers to meet with the US Secretary of State one-on-one. We discussed the history of our 25-year bilateral relations, as well as our progression on establishing a strategic communication format. We have strong US support, reaffirming our territorial integrity and sovereignty, and it is involved in the international format of the Geneva negotiations to achieve security guarantees, non-use of force and an opening for an opportunity to return IDPs home.

I got to address the UN Security Council meeting while here in the open-debates format. The meeting was called to discuss conflict on the European continent, where a US Envoy to the UN made a specific statement underlining US support for Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as support for assistance to Georgia’s security sector.

We also had a meeting with the US Defense Secretary on the Georgia-NATO partnership progress, the ongoing programs for Georgia’s NATO integration process and the development of Georgia’s self-defense capabilities.

The Georgian Prime Minister had a chance to meet with US Vice-President Pence on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, where the parties agreed to hold a similar-level meeting in Washington. Currently, we are working to hold a plenary session of the US-Georgia security partnership program to be chaired by the Prime Minister of Georgia and US Vice-President.

You said recently that you expect Georgia’s closer partnership with NATO this year. Why?

First of all, because of the planned meetings between NATO and Georgia. NATO’s military committee visited Georgia this year to assess Georgia’s defense capabilities and other projects being implemented, in order to foster Georgia’s defense and military sector and update these sectors to NATO compatibility levels. Georgia successfully carries out the substantial package of NATO-Georgia partnership and we are in close relations with NATO-member states to strengthen Georgia’s integration process.

This year we are also expecting a session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to take place in Georgia. This is unprecedented and will be attended by a US Congressional delegation. We also expect the session to adopt a resolution supporting Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

Link to Georgian version: http://www.amerikiskhma.com/a/mikheil-janelidze-interview/3781466.html

Anna Kalandadze, Voice of America