President Margvelashvili addresses world leaders at ISAF security meeting
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The President of Georgia has addressed world leaders, foreign ministers and other international representatives in a special meeting about the Afghanistan International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission, in which Georgia was the largest non-NATO contributor.
The President of Georgia participated in a meeting of leaders of ISAF countries at the NATO Summit in Wales last night and addressed the audience.
Leaders from NATO nations were joined by ISAF partner countries including Georgia, and reaffirmed their readiness to launch a non-combat mission in Afghanistan after 2014 to help train, advise and assist Afghan security forces, providing necessary legal arrangements were signed as soon as possible.
The post-2014 Resolute Support Mission was one of three pillars of NATO’s long-term engagement in Afghanistan, along with contributing to the long-term sustainment of the Afghan National Army and strengthening of long-term political and practical cooperation with Afghanistan.
When Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili took to the stage, he thanked NATO Secretary General [Anders Fogh Rasmussen] once again for his continued support to Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration and emphasized Georgia’s contribution to the ISAF mission.
President Margvelashvili stated "Georgia was the biggest contributor to the ISAF mission”. He said "Georgian soldiers fought shoulder to shoulder with the Allies, Afghan National Security Forces and partner nations, demonstrating their professional skills and bravery”.
The President also touched upon the problem of Georgia’s occupied territories and the crisis in Ukraine in his speech when talking about regional and global security issues.
"While contributing to security in the other parts of the globe, Georgians experienced their own security concerns based on continued occupation and militarisation of the parts of its territory,” Margvelashvili said.
He believed the events in Georgia in 2008 and in Ukraine in 2014 demonstrated that "stability and peaceful development of young democracies is a significant challenge for the entire Euro-Atlantic security”.
He expressed hope that Georgia’s concerns would be adequately responded by its partners.
The ISAF leaders’ meeting was also attended by Georgia’s Minister of Defence Irakli Alasania, Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze and State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Alex Petriashvili.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has agreed in principle to offer "a substantive package” to Georgia to help it come closer to NATO but made no mention of membership.
On the opening day of the NATO Summit in Wales, Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili met NATO’s top official and spoke briefly on the support package NATO will offer Georgia in the next two days.
The ongoing crisis in Ukraine and its potential impact on Georgia and other neighbouring countries was what Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili told a UK audience today.
A positive report of Georgia and the success of its recent local elections could play an important part in the country’s future relationship with NATO.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Georgia will not be offered a Membership Action Plan (MAP) at the NATO Summit in Wales in September.
The NATO Summit meeting in Wales comes at a critical time in the Alliance’s history – when the global security environment is becoming increasingly unpredictable and unstable, says NATO.
NATO may hold military exercises in Georgia and establish a military training centre in the country, see more Georgian participation in NATO exercises and possibly expand the local NATO liaison office - a top NATO official said.
A Georgian delegation, led by President Giorgi Margvelashvili, has left for the United Kingdom to take part in the NATO Summit in Wales on September 4 and 5.
Georgia’s Defence Minister Irakli Alasania today announced 750 Georgian soldiers will be deployed in two Afghan cities and contribute to the non-combat mission.
Georgian troops serving in Afghanistan welcomed a friendly visitor to their temporary home this week.