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PM Kvirikashvili confirms Georgia’s firm pro-Western aspirations

Giorgi Kvirikashvili confirmed his Government’s foreign policy had been and would always remain focused on Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Photo by PM's press office
Agenda.ge, 10 May 2016 - 14:28, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgia has a firm pro-Western course and this direction was chosen by the people of Georgia, says Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili.

The Georgian high official stressed the ruling Georgian Dream party had a political vector that fully reflected the nations’ pro-Western choice.

Yesterday Kvirikashvili confirmed his Government’s foreign policy had been and would always remain focused on Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

His comments were made in response to earlier remarks by Georgian Dream Member of Parliament (MP) Tamaz Mechiauri, who criticized the Noble Partner joint Georgia-United States (US) military exercises that will launch in Georgia tomorrow. The MP said conducting these types of drills in Georgia could create "a serious threat” to the country.

Kvirikashvili stressed Mechiauri’s statement "completely contradicted” the Georgian Dream’s position.

"I must note with a great regret that Mr. Mechiauri’s statement completely contradicts the course of the Georgian Dream and the Government of Georgia. The latter, on its part, reflects the foreign policy vector of Georgian Dream,” the PM said.
"It is with great regret that I have to reassert that Mr. Mechiauri’s statements do not reflect the views of the Government and the foreign policy priorities of Georgian Dream,” he added.

Two days earlier Moscow criticised the "large-scale preparations” for the Noble Partner drills and said this was "a provocative step”.

Responding to this, Kvirikashvili said there was "nothing provocative about them” and these exercises were not directed against anyone.

"These [drills] demonstrate a very clear example of our partnership with the West,” the PM said.

He added growth of the defence capacities of Georgia was "crucial”.

"We have gone through a significant phase of military reform; currently the Georgian military units are maximally compatible with NATO standards,” Kvirikashvili said.

"Today we have to launch a new phase aimed at strengthening the defence capacities of Georgian troops. The military exercises initiated today in Georgia serve this particular purpose and we consider that this is a reflection of Georgia’s firm will and the sovereign decision of the nation concerning the vector of our foreign policy.”
"Any questions regarding this policy, in my opinion, will be unfair and inappropriate.”

The PM welcomed the start of the joint US-Georgia military exercises and added: "There is nothing provocative about them. These exercises are not directed against anyone”.

"I would like to reassert that this is a clear indication of the solid partnership between Georgia and our Western partners. I think that there is no trace of a provocation in the given activities. Agreements concluded by the Russian Federation with Abkhazia and South Ossetia contain much more provocative elements. There is no provocation on our part.”

Over 1,000 American, British, and Georgian soldiers will participate in Noble Partner exercises, starting tomorrow and ending on May 24 at the Vaziani Military Base just outside capital Tbilisi.

The Noble Partner drills are a bilateral effort that aimed to enhance US and Georgian NATO Response Force interoperability in the context of military-to-military relationships. The exercise will focus on Unified Land Operations and will be based on NATO standard operating procedures.