Canadian FM: Canada supports Georgia, NATO's open door policy
The top Canadian diplomat stressed NATO realised the developments in Ukraine could also happen in another country, and added the North Atlantic alliance would continue to put pressure on Russia.Photo:TheStar. com
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Canada supports Georgia and has “always supported” NATO's open door policy to aspiring member states, Mélanie Joly, the Canadian Foreign Minister, said on Thursday ahead of the NATO Foreign Ministerial in Brussels.
Holy added her country aimed to become more active with other NATO members, and noted the “close friendship” with Georgia. She highlighted “Georgia is under a lot of pressure now [in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine] and is showing vulnerability, and this is why NATO member countries need to be by the side of our partners”.
The top Canadian diplomat stressed NATO realised the developments in Ukraine could also happen in another country, and added the North Atlantic alliance would continue to put pressure on Russia.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg opened a two-day meeting of foreign ministers on Wednesday, saying he expected the allied states to address the war in Ukraine.
In the meeting, NATO foreign ministers are discussing the development of the alliance’s next Strategic Concept, a roadmap for its “continued adaptation in a more dangerous world”.
Foreign ministers from Ukraine, Finland, Sweden and Georgia are taking part in the meeting, in addition to the European Union High Representative and NATO’s Asia-Pacific partners.
NATO-Georgia cooperation, the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine and the consequent deterioration of the security situation in the Eastern European region were discussed on Thursday during a meeting between Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and NATO Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security David Cattler.
NATO must step up individual support for Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a briefing ahead of a summit of alliance leaders on Tuesday.
It is important to step up cooperation with NATO partner countries, including Georgia, the Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said on Thursday ahead of the NATO ministers meeting.
The United States House Foreign Affairs Committee has approved an act in support of Georgia’s territorial integrity and security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia said on Wednesday.
The fourth round of negotiations on the draft Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement was held between Georgia and Canada in Canada’s capital Ottawa, the economy ministry said on Saturday.