NATO Sec-Gen: Georgia and Ukraine are valued NATO partners
NATO ministerial concluded with a meeting with the foreign ministers of Georgia and Ukraine on security in the Black Sea region and NATO’s continued support to both partners. Photo: NATO
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at an online press conference following the NATO foreign ministerial today that ‘Georgia and Ukraine are valued NATO partners’.
NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu has tweeted:
#NATO foreign ministers met virtually w/ Asia-Pacific partners ???????????????????????????????? and ???????????????? & @JosepBorrellF to discuss the implications of the rise of #China.
— Oana Lungescu (@NATOpress) December 2, 2020
Allies met separately w/ Foreign Ministers of ????????&???????? to address security in the Black Sea region. #ForMin https://t.co/5DnCJ5y3dv
Stoltenberg said that at the virtual meeting with Georgian and Ukrainian foreign ministers they addressed the security situation in the Black Sea region, ‘which is of strategic importance’.
Russia continues to violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and Ukraine. It continues its military build-up in Crimea and increasingly deploys forces in the Black sea region”, Stoltenberg said.
Noting that both countries ‘make important contributions’ to NATO missions, Stoltenberg said ‘today, we restated our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia and Ukraine’.
We discussed their reform programmes and we are stepping up our practical support. I am pleased that allies and Georgia approved the updated Substantial NATO-Georgia Package”, he stated.
NATO Secretary General added as well that ministers ‘agreed further steps to improve’ the situational awareness in the region and strengthen their dialogue with both partners.
Foreign Ministers discussed #NATO2030 & how to make our Alliance even stronger. I will continue broad consultations & will present my recommendations to leaders next year. My goal is to keep #NATO strong militarily, make it stronger politically & have a more global approach.
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) December 1, 2020
Adding that ‘NATO is responding by strengthening our presence on land, at sea and in the air’, Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the recent NATO aircraft being trained together with the US navy destroyer – the USS Donald Cook – in the Black Sea.
Glad 2 be in Warsaw, ???????? & participate in #NATO Foreign Ministerial along W ???????? FM @RauZbigniew. Happy 4 ???????? being on t/ high political agenda & 4 t/ opportunity 2 discuss our successful bilateral cooperation W my Polish colleague.
— David Zalkaliani (@DZalkaliani) December 2, 2020
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, who is on an official visit to Poland, took part in NATO's virtual meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) from Warsaw.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, who is paying a working visit to Poland, met with his Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau in Warsaw earlier today. Meanwhile, David Zalkaliani is taking part in the virtual NATO ministerial together with Zbigniew Rau from Poland.
A group of experts appointed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg say in their recently released report that the alliance ‘should expand and strengthen partnerships with Ukraine and Georgia as the vulnerable democracies that seek membership and are under constant external and internal pressure from Russia’.
NATO online foreign ministerial will kick off today with a focus on Black Sea security and ways to support NATO allies Georgia and Ukraine.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) entered into the Black Sea today in support of NATO Allies and partners, announces the US Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the College of Europe in Bruges earlier today that ‘NATO’s door remains open’ for Georgia and Ukraine. Stoltenberg said that he was at the NATO summit in Bucharest back in 2008 when the alliance made a decision that Georgia and Ukraine will become its members but they ‘did not set any fixed date’.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that the alliance will 'continue to provide support' to Georgia and Ukraine on their way towards Euro-Atlantic integration.