NATO Secretary General: “Georgia will be a NATO member”

Georgia’s NATO membership process and the details of the NATO-Georgia Substantial Package were discussed at a meeting between Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg today at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

"Georgia will be a member of NATO, provided it fulfils the necessary criteria. And we will continue to assist you in on this path,” said Stoltenberg at the joint press conference held right after the meeting.

"Georgia is one of our most committed partners. And Georgia plays an outstanding role in our operations,” he said in his opening remarks where he thanked the Georgian PM for his nation’s valuable contribution to the Alliance’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan.

At the joint press conference. Photo by NATO.

"We are [looking] to timely and effectively implement the Substantial Package in order to advance Georgia in preparation for NATO membership,” Garibashvili said in response.

Stoltenberg also praised Georgia’s reforms and promised continuing Allied support.

"Georgia has made impressive progress in recent years. And we will support you as you continue to take forward democratic reforms. That includes further strengthening the rule of law, including the independence and professionalism of the judiciary,” he said.

"The PM was very strong, very clear… I have no reason to doubt [Georgia’s EU integration course]. This is a strong commitment made by the PM and also made by the people of Georgia,” Stoltenberg said when asked if there were any questions regarding Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspiration.

In terms of the Substantial Package, the NATO Secretary General underlined the importance of the mutual agreement to establish a NATO training centre in Georgia.

"NATO will support defence capacity building in Georgia through embedded trainers. And we are pleased that Georgia will host a new NATO-Georgia Training Centre. The centre will help Georgian forces maintain their ability to work with NATO. And it will prepare Georgia and other partners for future contributions to the NATO Response Force,” Stoltenberg stressed.

More details on the Substantial Package will be revealed after the NATO Ministerial in February he added.

The safety in the region was also discussed at the meeting in the NATO headquarters. Photo by NATO press office.

Meanwhile Garibashvili noted he shared concerns with the NATO top official on Russia’s proposal to sign an ‘Alliance and Integration’ treaty with Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia.

"I would like to express our deep concerns and regret that despite our constructive approach to Russia, the Russian side continues its destructive policy in the occupied regions of Georgia [Abkhazia and South Ossetia],” PM Garibashvili said.

"We look forward to working closely with the Secretary General and with our partners and international community on this issue,” he added.

Georgia continues to be one of the biggest contributors to the NATO mission in Afghanistan. On November 1, 2014 the Georgian Army took over the force protection of Bagram Air Field, the biggest airbase in Afghanistan.

See the video of the joint press conference.