Rasmussen: NATO helps to reform Georgia’s security forces to NATO standards

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has thanked Georgia for its outstanding role in NATO operations and praised Georgia’s efforts in implementing important reforms.

Shortly after meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili at NATO’s Brussels headquarters on Wednesday, February 5, Rasmussen tweeted: "Georgia is a mature democracy with free and fair elections last year. NATO helps to reform Georgia’s security forces to NATO standards.”

Rasmussen’s Twitter followers were kept informed of Georgia’s progress on its way to become integrated with NATO.

"Still work to be done for Georgia’s integration in Euro-Atlantic community, but Georgia has made much progress and moved much closer to NATO,” Rasmussen wrote on Twitter.

After the meeting, Rasmussen told journalists that Georgia was a strong and committed NATO partner.

"You play an outstanding role in our operations. You are implementing important reforms. And today we see a more mature democracy in your country, after free and fair presidential elections last year”, the Secretary General said.

He expressed concern over decision without prior agreement with Georgia to extend border zone deeper into breakaway Abkhazia ahead and during the Sochi Olympics. He also said that building of fences and barriers across administrative boundary line of Georgia’s breakaway regions was hampering free movement and livelihood of the local population.

"The building of fences and other obstacles is unacceptable. The 21st century is for bridge building not fence building,” Rasmussen tweeted.

Georgia is the largest non-NATO contributor to ISAF. The Georgian Government has pledged financial support and committed to contribute to the Alliance’s mission to train, advise, and assist the Afghan forces after 2014.

The Secretary General stressed that the priority was now to continue implementing reforms across all areas, including the defence sector, the rule of law, and local government.

"We have noted the recent decision to temporarily extend the so-called border zone of Abkhazia further into Georgian territory without the Georgian Government’s consent. I have to say we are very concerned about that decision. We remain firmly committed to Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders and we call on Russia to implement all of its obligations with regards to Georgia”, the Secretary General said.

"As we have made clear, the building of fences and other obstacles is unacceptable and it is contrary to international law and Russia’s own commitments. It hampers the free movement and livelihood of the population and it should be reversed. The 21st century is for bridge-building not fence-building.”

Rasmussen underlined that NATO stood by its commitments.

"At the Bucharest Summit in 2008 we decided that Georgia will become a NATO member, provided the country meets the necessary requirements. That decision still stands”.

Rasmussen said that there was still work to be done for integration in the Euro-Atlantic community, but said Georgia had moved "much closer to NATO”. He said NATO would continue to work together with Georgia to help achieve the common goals.

Meanwhile Georgia also announced it would contribute to the NATO-Response Force in 2015.