Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Chair "hopeful" NATO countries "soon" make political decision on Georgia's membership
Samkharadze and Vinnikov also touched upon the current events in Ukraine and a difficult security situation in the Black Sea region. The situation in the Russian-occupied territories of Georgia was also a topic of the conversation. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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I hope that NATO countries will soon make a political decision on Georgia's membership in the alliance, Nikoloz Samkharadze, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) MP who chairs the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Wednesday during the meeting with Alexander Vinnikov, the new head of the NATO Liaison Office in Georgia.
NATO-Georgia relations, prospects for future cooperation and the necessary reform process were discussed during the mentioned meeting.
Georgia's membership in NATO is our country's foreign policy priority. Accordingly, I hope that NATO countries will soon make a political decision on Georgia's membership in the alliance soon,Samkharadze said.
Samkharadze and Vinnikov also touched upon the current events in Ukraine and a difficult security situation in the Black Sea region. The situation in the Russian-occupied territories of Georgia was also a topic of the conversation.
The security environment in the Black Sea region following the Russian aggression on Ukraine, and the challenges facing Georgia in the circumstances, were discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between David Zalkaliani, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, and Toivo Klaar, the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia.
The situation created by the armed conflict taking place in Ukraine, the ongoing occupation of Georgian regions, and release of Georgian citizens illegally arrested by occupation forces were discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between Grigol Liluashvili, the Head of the State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia, and Toivo Klaar, the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia.
A United States Senator on Tuesday asked the Undersecretary of State about plans to help Georgia and Moldova in case the Russian Government decides to “cross the borders” into the countries on the back of its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Russia's actions in Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014, as well as the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripals in Salisbury were warnings to the West, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in an opinion piece published by The New York Times on Sunday.
Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, its impact on global and regional security, and the challenges Georgia faces in the context were discussed on Thursday in a meeting between Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, and the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Talks.
The Helsinki Commission, a US government agency monitoring security in Europe, has called on President Joe Biden to designate Georgia and Ukraine as Major Non-NATO Allies (MNNAs), American global affairs publication Foreign Policy reported on Saturday.
It was a mistake by NATO not to grant Ukraine and Georgia their Membership Action Plans (MAP) back in 2008, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Secretary-General of the alliance, said in an interview with the Georgian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Monday.
Strengthening of bilateral parliamentary relations and deepening of cooperation in trade, tourism, reforms, agriculture, sport and education were discussed on Friday in a meeting between a Georgian Parliamentary delegation and officials of the South African Parliament.