Foreign Minister: Georgia is Ready for NATO

Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze said that Georgia has all the practical tools necessary for NATO membership on Sunday when speaking during the Political Committee at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Tbilisi.

“We are determined to continue our path towards NATO membership[…] We will continue moving on this road with the same vigor in order to accomplish the quest of the Georgian people and become a fully-fledged member of the Alliance,” he said.

Janelidze noted that since the day of regaining independence 26 years ago, Georgia has aspired to join the European family.

He said that in recent years, the government has carried out a number of impressive reforms towards improving the rule of law, open governance, media pluralism, and has been growing the economy and ensuring a favorable investment environment, by which Georgia has improved its scores in all international rankings and has come even closer to its goal of European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

The minister said that Georgia has been actively contributing to world security through its sustained engagement in Afghanistan. Georgia has also been actively involved in a number of EU-led crises management missions.

Moreover, Janelidze underlined that, as an aspirant country and a reliable partner, Georgia supports NATO’s enhanced tailored presence in the Black Sea region and is ready to contribute to the efforts of the Alliance in this regard.

“I would like to emphasize the critical importance of continuation of NATO’s open door policy. Georgia’s NATO membership process would be the right step in this direction, sending a strong signal that the reemergence of certain spheres of influence and attempts to limit the foreign policy choice of sovereign states are unacceptable and indeed impossible in the 21st century,” he stressed.

Georgia is the fifth non-member state of the Alliance to host the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Session.

The spring NATO Parliamentary Assembly started on May 26 and concluded on Monday.

The session has gathered around 600 guests, including by over 300 MPs from NATO member and partner states.

Thea Morrison