Parliament Speaker stresses importance of “tailored” NATO assistance programme for Georgia

The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said the ongoing NATO Summit had sent “another signal” in support for the bloc’s open door policy, and called the adoption of a “tailored” assistance programme for Georgia a “really important” step.

The Parliament official noted it was “disappointing” that a “decisive” step of offering NATO membership to Georgia and Ukraine had not yet been taken.

We received from the Madrid Summit another signal in support for the open door policy and a tailored support program for Georgia, which is really important. However, unfortunately, the main step we expect [offering NATO membership] has not been taken”, Papuashvili said.

Georgia is fully compatible with NATO, our political agenda is in full compliance. Georgia was one of the largest contributors to the Afghanistan mission, and wherever NATO members need it, Georgia is there. Now it is important that when Georgia needs NATO, NATO should be right there”, he concluded in his comments.

The NATO Summit on Wednesday decided to “step up tailored political and practical support” to partners including Georgia. Heads of member states also reaffirmed the decision taken at the 2008 Bucharest Summit that Georgia and Ukraine would become members of the alliance.