NATO’s James Appathurai: North Atlantic Council had 'excellent visit' to Georgia
James Appathurai is the Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy and NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia. Photo: Shot from a video by President of Georgia's press office
Tweet 
Share
NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai said the North Atlantic Council (NAC) had “a really excellent visit” to Georgia.
NAC, which is the principal political decision-making body of NATO, was visiting the Georgian Black Sea town of Batumi on October 3-4.
NATO's @JamesAppathurai on the North Atlantic Council's meeting with President @Zourabichvili_S pic.twitter.com/8F3fvpt3sE
— Orbeliani Presidential Palace (@GeorgiaPres) October 4, 2019
During their visit, the NATO officials held a number of meetings with Georgian officials, including President Salome Zurabishvili and Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.
Appathurai said President Zurabishvili highlighted the extent to which the ‘borderisation’ is causing a pain and dislocation for Georgian people”.
More largely, Russia is stepping up its activities in the country… we together, need to put as much public pressure and diplomatic pressure on Russia to cease this activity”, he cited Zurabishvili.
The North Atlantic Council’s visit to Batumi is historic and yet another step forward on Georgia’s steadfast road toward @NATO. We are now closer to Brussels than ever before. pic.twitter.com/T7aZZ7oQ87
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) October 4, 2019
Appathurai said the NATO Ambassadors “welcomed very much” Zurabishvili’s commitment “to contribute to reform in the country but also to improving the political atmosphere in the run up to the elections”.
What she heard and what all the ministers have heard here is NATO’s firm commitment to Georgia’s territorial integrity, political sovereignty, to its Euro-Atlantic future towards NATO, to our commitment to upgrade the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, to put more substance, in other words more Georgia in NATO, more NATO in Georgia”, Appathurai stated.
He also voiced a “very strong message” from NATO Ambassadors and the Chairman of the Military Committee that they have respect "for what Georgian soldiers do and sacrifice they have made".
We know the 32 Georgian soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan... We don’t forget them and they have been remembered in all our meetings”, he concluded.
“Georgia will become a member of @NATO”. Thank you for your strong statement during our joint press conference, @Gottemoeller. pic.twitter.com/GYhqg1clIF
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) October 4, 2019
The NAC delegation, composed of 29 Ambassadors of NATO member states, was led by the NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller.
During their visit they held a NATO-Georgia Commission meeting and adopted a joint statement expressing their readiness “to further enhance” their cooperation as well.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has awarded NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller with the order of the Golden Fleece for her “particular merit” to Georgia, stating that the “award is symbolic that NATO-Georgia cooperation will continue, strengthen further and lead to the final goal.”
The United States Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison spoke with Georgian reporters today about the key role that the partnership between Georgia and NATO plays in maintaining regional security.
NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller says that Russia is against Georgian membership in NATO, but the attitude has nothing to do with the position of the alliance. Gottemoeller made the statement during a press conference with Georgian PM Giorgi Gakharia, on the sidelines of the 5th North Atlantic Council (NAC) meeting in Batumi earlier today.
Georgian Prime Minister, Giorgi Gakharia, who has opened the fifth North Atlantic Council (NAC) meeting in Georgia’s western coastal city of Batumi earlier today, told NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller and the audience that the meeting venue is symbolic because of the importance of Black Sea security.
NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai has outlined the alliance's upcoming steps for its increased support for Georgia as a response to security challenges in the Black Sea region.