Stoltenberg: Georgia, Ukraine are high-valued partners of NATO for many reasons
Jens Stoltenberg has stated that the role of Georgia and Ukraine is high for Black Sea security. Photo: NATO.
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has stated that Georgia and Ukraine are high-valued partners of NATO ‘for many reasons’ and that the importance of the two states has particularly increased due to the strategic importance of the Black Sea region.
Contribution to the NATO mission in Afghanistan was named as one of the reasons why the countries are important for NATO.
Working with partners like Georgia and Ukraine (in terms of the Black Sea region), consulting with them and listening to them will be an important part of NATO-2030 process,” Stoltenberg stated during an online press conference earlier today ahead of the NATO virtual defence ministerial on October 22-23.
Stoltenberg stated in April 2020 that NATO decided to deepen partnerships with Georgia and Ukraine, including exercises in the ‘strategic Black Sea region’.
Video by NATO.
The question about Georgia and Ukraine is at 43:58.
Stoltenberg said this includes joint work to counter hybrid warfare, as well as efforts to share more air traffic radar data, “making the skies safer for all”.
Georgia is the largest non-NATO contributor to the Resolute Support mission with 871 soldiers.
The Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan was launched in 2015 and involves more than 16,000 personnel from nearly 40 NATO member and partner countries.
The mission serves to train, advise and assist Afghan defence and security forces and support them through funding.
Thirty-two Georgian soldiers have been killed and dozens injured in NATO-led peace missions in Afghanistan.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has praised the efforts of the Georgian government against the coronavirus, saying that the country is coping with the virus successfully. Stoltenberg phoned Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani to relay this message and say that the NATO foreign ministerial on April 3-4 will be held in a restricted manner, Georgian Foreign Ministry said. “NATO stands by the Georgian government and its people in the fight against the coronavirus,” the foreign ministry cited Stoltenberg as saying.
The Georgian delegation led by Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and comprised of Vice PM Tea Tsulukiani, Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani and Defence Minister Irakli Garibashvili, held meetings on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, which was held on February 14-16.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said ahead of the Munich Security Conference yesterday that Georgia is “a close partner” of the alliance. “We work closely with Georgia. We support them on their efforts to implement reform, but we also welcome the fact that Georgia provides support to NATO in many different ways”, Stoltenberg stated.
NATO Foreign Ministers have decided to deepen their partnerships with Georgia and Ukraine including with exercises in the strategic Black Sea region. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this includes joint work to counter hybrid warfare, as well as efforts to share more air traffic radar data, “making the skies safer for all”.