NATO Sec Gen: Georgia’s participation in NATO leaders meeting “important expression” of “solidarity, close partnership”
Stoltgenberg said it was important that NATO allies “stepped up” their support to partners “vulnerable” for Russian aggression in light of the latter’s “brutal invasion” of Ukraine. Photo: Reuters
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday called the invitation for Georgian officials to meet with alliance leaders at its upcoming Madrid Summit an “important expression” of “solidarity” and “close partnership”.
Stoltgenberg said it was important that NATO allies “stepped up” their support to partners “vulnerable” for Russian aggression in light of the latter’s “brutal invasion” of Ukraine.
Russia has already invaded parts of Georgian territory [Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions]. Therefore, I also expect the [NATO] members will agree on concrete steps to further strengthen the practical partnership, the way we work together on training, and reforms to increase Georgia’s ability to stand up against Russian intervention”, Stoltenberg said.
The NATO Madrid summit will be held between June 28-30 and bring together heads of governments of NATO member countries.
Defence ministers of the alliance meet in Brussels starting today for a two-day meeting likely to be dominated by the war in Ukraine. The event will include a working dinner to which representatives of Finland, Georgia, Sweden, Ukraine and the EU are invited.
Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday stressed that the Georgian authorities saw the guarantee of the country’s security under the NATO “umbrella”.
Edgars Rinkevics, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, on Sunday said his country supported granting Georgia a Membership Action Plan for joining NATO.
The West made its first “mistake” back in 2008 in not outlining a “clear path” to NATO for Georgia and Ukraine, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Secretary-General of the Alliance, has said in an interview with the Foreign Policy magazine.
Defence ministers of Ukraine, Georgia, Finland and Sweden, along with representatives of the European Union, will take part in a meeting of NATO defence officials next month.
Viktor Dolidze, the Head of the Georgian mission to NATO, on Wednesday said the country had been invited to take part in today’s meeting of the alliance’s Rammstein format for the first time, with the main topic of discussion being the issue of strengthening Ukraine's defence capabilities.
The security environment in the Black Sea region and the ongoing war in Ukraine were discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between the Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze and his Bulgarian and Turkish counterparts.
Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze on Wednesday participated in the meeting of Rammstein format of NATO in Brussels for the first time, discussing strategies and initiatives to assist Ukraine in combating the ongoing Russian offensives.
Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze on Thursday held a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the framework of a NATO ministerial in Brussels, NATO said.
NATO’s political and practical support for Georgia, the security environment and challenges in the Black Sea region and the war in Ukraine were discussed on Thursday in a meeting between the Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance was working on “further strengthening” partnership and providing “more support” to Georgia after his meeting with Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze on Thursday.
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Monday adopted a declaration condemning the continued occupation of Georgia's Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions.