Georgia’s Foreign Ministry discusses NATO Substantial Package in Brussels

NATO offered Substantial Package to Georgia, increasing the country’s defence capabilities as well as the Russia-Abkhazia’s so called treaty are the main issues taking limelight at special meetings between Georgia and NATO envoys.

Today in Brussels, Georgia’s Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchashvili met NATO envoys and spoke about some of the challenges facing the region and how the NATO support package would offer immense benefits to Georgia. The Georgian official is in the Belgium capital to take part in the NATO member states foreign ministers meetings.

At the NATO headquarters, Beruchashvili also met the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai.

The parties discussed the NATO-offered Substantial Package and Georgia expressed full readiness to implement the package in a timely and effective way.

Georgia’s regional security environment and the current developments between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia were highlighted at the meeting, where special mention

(From left) Georgia's Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchashvili and the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai. Photo by Georgia's MFA Facebook Page.

was also made of Russia’s so-called treaty on ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership’ with breakaway Abkhazia.

The NATO official again condemned the Russia-Abkhazia deal and said it would negatively influence the stability and security of the region.

Meanwhile Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevicius was confident the so-called treaty would not support resolving the conflict in the region.

He made this remark before the NATO-Ukraine Commission in Brussel today.

"To be frank, Russia has been implementing the same scenario in Abkhazia as it did in Crimea, Ukraine. The annexation of Abkhazia will create obstacles [to] Georgia’s integration into Euro-Atlantic structures,” Linkevicius said.

He believed the NATO-offered Substantial Package would strengthen Georgia’s defence and interoperability capabilities with the Alliance.

"That will help Georgia advance in its preparations towards [Alliance] membership,” he said.

In September 2014 NATO offered Georgia a Substantial Package that involved developing Georgia’s defensive capacity, joint training and exercises, strengthened liaison and enhanced interoperability opportunities.

Appathurai and Beruchashvili also agreed on Georgia’s participation in the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan in 2015.

Georgia earlier indicated willingness to participate in the post-2014 follow-on Resolute Support mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Security Forces after the ISAF mission ended.