NATO pledges to “step up” support for Georgia
Jens Stoltenberg said the foreign ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Moldova would be present in Bucharest to discuss their “growing cooperation with NATO”. Photo: NATO press office
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday said the alliance would “step up” its support for Ukraine and other partners “facing Russian pressure”, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Moldova.
Speaking at a press conference with Romanian president Klaus Iohannis in Bucharest, ahead of meetings of NATO foreign ministers, Stoltenberg stressed “we will do what is necessary to protect and defend all allies”.
In his comments, the Romanian president also highlighted the importance of the alliance’s support “both to Ukraine and to NATO's most vulnerable partners in the region, such as Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
Good talks with President @KlausIohannis before #NATO foreign ministers meet in Bucharest. I thanked him for #Romania’s commitment to our Alliance. We stand united in addressing security in strategic Black Sea region & stepping up support for #Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/LPM8Z6NuaE
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) November 28, 2022
He cited the strengthening of strategic stability in the Black Sea region as an “additional challenge”, which included “key aspects” like energy security and freedom of maritime traffic.
In his separate comments before the meetings of NATO foreign ministers later on Tuesday, Stoltenberg said the foreign ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Moldova would be present in Bucharest to discuss their “growing cooperation with NATO at this challenging time”.
He said these three countries “are facing Russian pressure in many different ways, so at our meeting we will take further steps to help them protect their independence, and strengthen their ability to defend themselves”.
NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg on Friday said Georgia was a “highly valued” partner of the alliance.
Irakli Beraia, the head of the Georgian parliament’s defence and security committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said his country remained among the priorities of NATO and was “important” to the alliance.
NATO parliamentary assembly on Monday adopted the resolution urging member governments and parliaments of the alliance to “step up” support to “vulnerable partners” Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Moldova.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday said working with the alliance’s “partner” Georgia has been “even more important” against the background of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Mircea Geoană, the deputy secretary general of NATO, on Tuesday said if both the bloc on the one side, and Ukraine and Georgia on the other, were “ready” for their membership of the alliance, the countries would be “by our side”.
The Black Sea region is of vital strategic importance for NATO and in this part, it has close partners such as Ukraine and Georgia, along with member state allies Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye, the United States secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Tuesday at a press conference.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, NATO foreign ministers reaffirmed their 2008 Bucharest Summit and "all subsequent" decisions on welcoming Georgia's and Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
Romanian, Latvian and Slovenian foreign ministers pledged their support for Georgia’s NATO integration at the ongoing meeting of the alliance’s FMs in Bucharest on Tuesday.
Victor Dolidze, the head of the Georgian mission to NATO, on Wednesday said it was “symbolic” the alliance’s ministerial in Bucharest this week “once again” stressed Georgia and Ukraine would “definitely” join the bloc, 14 years after the pledge was first made at a NATO summit in the city.
Javier Colomina, the NATO secretary general's special representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, on Wednesday said the ongoing meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers in Bucharest had discussed “tailored assistance” for Georgia, Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina.