US reaffirms support for Georgia, Ukraine to become NATO members

The United States continues to support NATO’s decision of the 2008 Bucharest Summit Declaration that Georgia and Ukraine will become NATO members. 

The United States continues to support NATO’s decision in the 2008 Bucharest Summit Declaration, reaffirmed ever since, including in the June 2021 Brussels Summit, that Georgia and Ukraine will become NATO members”, the US Department of State said. 

A day before the NATO foreign ministerial in Riga the Department of State also underscored that ‘these countries’ Annual National Programs (ANP) detail their path to membership’.

Already, both Georgia and Ukraine are members of the Enhanced Opportunities Partnership (EOP), which elevates their interoperability and training opportunities alongside NATO Allies”, the statement reads.

It also reiterates that the NATO leaders are committed to NATO’s Open Door Policy, ‘which provides a path to membership for any European country that shares our values and meets the necessary responsibilities and obligations’. 

The Latvian capital of Riga will be hosting NATO foreign ministerial on November 30-December 1. Photo: NATO

At a pre-ministerial press conference on November 26 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Georgia and Ukraine ‘are close and highly valued partners that aspire for membership and NATO supports them, both politically and practically’. Therefore, the situation in the region with Georgia and Ukraine will be on the ministerial agenda.

Both countries are highly-valued partners of NATO. We work closely with them and we are expanding our cooperation and we welcome both the contributions of both Georgia and Ukraine to NATO. But also, we really believe that NATO is supporting both countries, Georgia and Ukraine, in a positive and helpful way”, Stoltenberg then said. 

The meeting of the North Atlantic Council with Foreign Ministers of Georgia and Ukraine is scheduled for December 1, which Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani says is the recognition of Georgia’s progress as an aspirant country.