Georgian Defence Minister: Germany is our friend

Berlin is a friend and partner of Georgia, says Georgia’s Defence Minister Tinatin Khidasheli after meeting her German counterpart.

Khidasheli paid a visit to the German capital Berlin where she held "a productive meeting” with Germany's Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen on November 27.

Had a productive meeting w/ the MoD of #Germany Ursula Von Der Leyen.Talked about mutual defense and security issues pic.twitter.com/oNAsstOxSj

— Tina Khidasheli (@tinakhidasheli) November 27, 2015

The pair discussed mutual defence and security issues.

"Germany is a country that is ready to stand by us when it comes to fixing any kind of problem,” Khidasheli told Georgian media after the meeting.

Meanwhile Germany’s Defence Ministry also issued a brief press release that said Germany and Georgia had a close military cooperation and about 130 Georgian soldiers, trained and equipped by Germany, were stationed under German command in Afghanistan in the NATO-led Resolute Support mission.

Khidasheli also spoke about Georgia’s North-Atlantic aspirations and said among NATO states there was no "mutual position” regarding Georgia’s fate so Tbilisi was now looking forward to NATO Warsaw Summit in 2016.

The Georgian Minister said from Berlin in her interview with Tbilisi-based Imedi TV that her country wanted not only a Membership Action Plan (MAP) but NATO membership itself.

"MAP is neither a goal nor the main task,” she said.

"The main thing is for Georgia to step on to the NATO membership path. There is a real chance and possibility of this.”

She explained at next year’s NATO Summit in Warsaw, Tbilisi wanted from the Alliance to either grant Georgia a MAP or declare that a MAP was no longer a precursor on its path to eventual membership.

While in Berlin, Khidasheli also met Chancellor Angela Merkel’s foreign and security policy adviser Christoph Heusgen.

Khidasheli ended her Germany visit with meeting local media yesterday and travelled to Brussels to hold high level meeting with Belgian officials today.