Georgian parliament official, NATO committee members discuss challenges, country’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations
Irakli Beraia, the head of the defense and security committee of the Georgian parliament, on Friday met representatives of NATO partnerships and cooperative security committee. Photo: parliament press office
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Irakli Beraia, the head of the defense and security committee of the Georgian parliament, on Friday discussed existing regional and global security challenges and his country’s Euro-Atlantic integration process with representatives of NATO partnerships and cooperative security committee in Tbilisi.
The parliament press office said that the sides had also discussed efforts of the Georgian authorities to meet the 12-point conditions set by the European Union in June for granting the country its membership candidate status.
Representatives of NATO partnerships and cooperative security committee have held a meeting in Georgian parliament. Photo: parliament press office.
In his comments following the meeting, the Georgian lawmaker said his discussion with the alliance’s committee responsible for outreach programmes with non-member states had proved “very interesting”.
Beraia said the meeting had highlighted the significance of Georgia’s integration into the alliance and noted his country was “capable to make genuine contribution” to international peace and security, considering the experience gained through participation in NATO-led and other international peacekeeping missions.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Georgian parliament's foreign affairs committee chair, on Thursday said the Georgian government was “efficiently” implementing a “pragmatic and consistent” foreign policy despite challenges, and maintaining “peace, stability and a trend of sustainable development” as a result.
Georgia’s “proper representation” at the NATO summit in Vilnius next year will be an “important message” for both the country and the international community, foreign minister Ilia Darchiashvili said in his address to the parliament on Thursday.
One hundred Georgian soldiers from the third infantry brigade have already left Afghanistan and returned to Georgia as the US and NATO have begun withdrawing their troops from the country after two decades of war.
The reforms of the defence and security systems and the need of deepening NATO-Georgia cooperation were highlighted during a meeting on Friday between the representatives of the NATO partnerships and cooperative security committee and the Georgian defence officials, the Georgian defence ministry announced on Friday.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the chair of the Georgian parliament's foreign affairs committee, on Tuesday led a public lecture at the Netherlands’ Leiden University on the topics of the new world order and European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Georgia, as part of his visit to the country.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the chair of the Georgian parliament's foreign affairs committee, and members of the Georgian delegation on Friday participated in a joint sitting of the foreign relations and defence committees of the parliament of Luxembourg.
NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday said NATO allies were providing support to Georgia and “working closely” with their Georgian partners.