Georgia welcomes North Macedonia joining NATO
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Georgian officials have welcomed North Macedonia becoming the 30th member of NATO.
President Salome Zurabishvili said the enlargement “of this great family” strengthens international security.
Congratulations to North Macedonia ???????? on becoming the 30th member of @NATO! International security is strengthened yet again by the enlargement of this great family. Our goal toward #EuroAtlantic integration remains strong, stable and undeterred! @SPendarovski
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) March 27, 2020
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia also noted that Georgia supports the “open door policy”.
Congratulations to North Macedonia on becoming a @NATO member. As a #NATO aspirant nation, #Georgia remains committed to strengthening the alliance & continues to support the Open Door Policy. NATO plays a vital role in ensuring global peace & stability.
— Giorgi Gakharia (@GakhariaGiorgi) March 28, 2020
Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said the accession of North Macedonia is “a great inspiration” for Georgia.
Congratulations to #NorthMacedonia ???????? on its accession to #NATO. The Open Door policy is working! This is a great inspiration for aspirant Georgia ????????. Stronger NATO through enlargement! #GeoNext @Dimitrov_Nikola @jensstoltenberg
— David Zalkaliani (@DZalkaliani) March 28, 2020
North Macedonia became NATO’s newest member on March 27.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has praised the efforts of the Georgian government against the coronavirus, saying that the country is coping with the virus successfully. Stoltenberg phoned Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani to relay this message and say that the NATO foreign ministerial on April 3-4 will be held in a restricted manner, Georgian Foreign Ministry said. “NATO stands by the Georgian government and its people in the fight against the coronavirus,” the foreign ministry cited Stoltenberg as saying.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said ahead of the Munich Security Conference yesterday that Georgia is “a close partner” of the alliance. “We work closely with Georgia. We support them on their efforts to implement reform, but we also welcome the fact that Georgia provides support to NATO in many different ways”, Stoltenberg stated.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has hosted NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the presidential residency in Tbilisi earlier today.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says that North Macedonia’s accession into NATO means that the alliance door remains open to countries that meet the alliance’s standards and which adhere to NATO values of democracy.
NATO Foreign Ministers have decided to deepen their partnerships with Georgia and Ukraine including with exercises in the strategic Black Sea region. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this includes joint work to counter hybrid warfare, as well as efforts to share more air traffic radar data, “making the skies safer for all”.
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’.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has paid her first official visit to North Macedonia earlier today. Now Zurabishvili and North Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski are holding a face-to-face meeting. The presidents are scheduled to sign a visa liberalisation agreement between the two countries and a memorandum of cooperation in culture following the meeting.
Georgian and North Macedonian presidents have signed the visa liberalisation agreement between the two countries earlier today in Skopje, during the first official visit of Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili to North Macedonia. An agreement has also been signed for cooperation in the culture field. North Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski has stated during a joint press conference that ‘we are making new history for our two friendly nations.’