Georgia optimistic for NATO Wales Summit

With six days to go until Georgia participates in the NATO Summit in Wales, Georgian high officials are looking forward to positive outcomes from the annual meeting.

Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili noted Georgia had worked extremely hard over the past year to achieve maximum results at the Summit, and he hoped Georgia’s efforts would be adequately recognised.

"The Government has done everything it could and I was involved in this process myself,” he said.

"Throughout the year we worked intensively to achieve the maximum result. Of course the political situation has to be taken in account and Europe must pay attention to it. We fully support [NATO] countries and we expect to receive an adequate assessment at the NATO summit,” he said.

The Wales Summit was the main topic of today’s press conference led by the President’s adviser on Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Tengiz Pkhaladze. He spoke about Georgia’s expectation of the NATO meeting and noted the Georgian President’s main task was to increase the quality of Georgia’s defence after the Summit.

Another main goal of the President was to ensure Georgia was not only praised for its progress but serious steps were taken by NATO to allow Georgia to enter the alliance in the future, Pkhaladze said.

"This Summit is being held in such a situation and environment where we see how the challenges of international security, more specifically towards Euro-Atlantic security, are increasing. The main task is to increase [Georgia’s] quality of defence after the Summit. This is what the Georgian President sees as the main task ahead,” Pkhaladze said.

NATO earlier said Georgia would not be offered a Membership Action Plan (MAP) at the Wales Summit but the country would be offered an "unprecedented package” that would offer the country greater support.

Pkhaladze said Georgia hoped the support offered by NATO at the Summit, such as "a high level of defence political support as well as specific mechanisms” would help strengthen Georgia’s security.

The NATO Summit will be held on September 4-5 in Wales. US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande are expected to attend along with leaders and senior ministers from around 60 other countries.