Stoltenberg praises Georgia’s reform efforts to improve democracy

Head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg has met Georgia’s Parliament Speaker and local lawmakers within the North Atlantic Council (NAC) visit to Georgia.

As Georgia approaches national elections next month, I want to take this opportunity to commend all members of Parliament for your active engagement in strengthening Georgia’s democratic institutions.

Georgia has made impressive progress on fundamental electoral reforms. You have also strengthened the rule of law. And you are pursuing key reforms in the defence and security sectors.

Stoltenberg stressed it was essential for Georgia to carry out widespread reforms to help the Georgian people assimilate to high international standards required for NATO membership. 

Georgia’s Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili spoke of the importance of NAC meeting in Tbilisi, which involved high level NATO country leaders. He said the decision to host the NAC in Georgia meant Georgia was a "full-fledged participant of the alliance’s activities”.

It is very important for us … not to ask ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for NATO membership but asking which way is the best and most effective way to become a full-fledged member,” Usupashvili stated. 

Georgia is on an unwavering path towards greater integration with NATO and the European Union (EU).

In May 2017 Georgia will host the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA), which Usupashvili believed would be "one of the most important events in the NATO PA direction for a non-member state”. 

Following on from Stoltenberg’s meeting with Georgia’s Prime Minister yesterday, today he is scheduled to meet the country’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili.