US seeks to intensify support to NATO's partners Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova

The White House releases a statement emphasizing NATO and US Efforts in support of the alliance partners.
Agenda.ge, 06 Sep 2014 - 21:38, Tbilisi,Georgia

The White House believes more support should be offered to NATO partners – Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.

The US President’s Administration issued a statement that emphasized the efforts of the US an NATO to support Alliance partners and share their burdens and support them when needed "to accomplish our common security goals”.

"The United States strongly supports NATO’s cooperation with partners as a means to share more effectively burdens and act worldwide to accomplish our common security goals. This aligns with wider US strategy of driving global cooperation on security challenges through networks of alliances," read the statement.

The US said NATO remained committed to further strengthening and deepening its partnerships, as agreed during the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago and reaffirmed in Wales, with the establishment of the Interoperability Initiative.

According to the White House, this program included an "Interoperability Platform” of about 24 partners that would help NATO and its partners maintain joint readiness to tackle security challenges.

Additionally, it included an upper tier of "Enhanced Partners,” which provided early access to operational planning, streamlined participation in exercises and regular political consultations for NATO’s closest and most interoperable partners.

In general, US support to NATO partners typically fell into three categories: direct security assistance, training and exercises, or long term institutional reform.

"We have actively engaged in each of these areas for Ukraine and measures are underway to intensify support for Moldova and Georgia," the White House said, noting the US was "developing plans” to support Georgia and Moldova by intensifying security assistance over the longer term.

"If funded, the US European Reassurance Initiative will include provisions for increased assistance to build capacity in Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to provide for their own defence and increase interoperability with Western forces.”

The statement ended with a reaffirmation that the US was working closely with NATO to develop more robust assistance and engagement programs for the Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.