President Margvelashvili represents Georgia at NATO Wales Summit
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Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili will represent the country at the NATO Summit in Wales in September.
President Margvelashvili stated that at the meeting with James Appathurai he confirmed to the NATO Secretary General he would attend the Wales summit.
"The more Georgia is represented at international summites the better for our country," Margvelashvili said.
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze announced this after her meeting with NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia region, James Appathurai, in Tbilisi earlier today.
She said the Government believed it would be in the country’s best interests for President Margvelashvili to participate in the Summit, which included talks about the ISAF mission.
Under Georgia’s revised Constitution, the Prime Minister’s power has increased. As a result, PM Irakli Garibashvili signed the Association Agreement with the European Union in Brussels last month. Regardless of this, the President remains the supreme commander-in-chief of the state.
"We [the PM and the Cabinet] believe it will be good if the ISAF meeting is attended by the President,” Panjikidze said.
NATO envoy Appathurai visited Georgia in accordance with a request from the NATO Secretary General. He was sent to Georgia to discuss the "substantive package” NATO will offer Georgia in Wales.
Appathurai has already met Minister Panjikidze and is scheduled to talk to the country’s Defence Minister Irakli Alasania later today.
Panjikidze and Appathurai did not make lengthy comments after their meeting, but said: "Georgia will be significantly represented within NATO and NATO will be significantly represented within Georgia” as a result of the Wales Summit.
The NATO Wales Summit will be held on September 4 and 5. All 28 member states and four aspirant countries including Georgia will participate in the event.
NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai will pay an official visit to Georgia to discuss the "substantive package” NATO will offer Georgia at the Wales Summit in September.
Elements of the "an unprecedented package” which Georgia will be offered from NATO is already revealed by NATO Secretary General Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has agreed in principle to offer "a substantive package” to Georgia to help it come closer to NATO but made no mention of membership.
The President of Georgia will be noticeably absent from the ceremony where Georgia will sign the Association Agreement (AA) with the EU.
The President of Georgia has given his consent for the country’s Prime Minister to represent the country and sign the Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union (EU).
Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibahsvili will be Georgia’s representative and sign the Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union (EU) on June 27.
NATO’s regional envoy for the Caucasus region has offered his reassurances to the Georgian nation that the country will become more secure following the NATO Summit in Wales later this year.