Sec Gen Stoltenberg: Strong armed forces “key” to Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity
Stoltenberg underlined NATO would stand up to defend core principles, including “every country’s right to choose its own path.” Photo: Reuters
Tweet 
Share
Strong and capable armed forces are key to uphold Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and NATO will continue to support the country, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday.
Stoltenberg was making comments on the recent NATO-Georgia Exercise, and noted for the past two weeks the Georgian armed forces and their counterparts from the alliance’s allied and partner countries had trained “side by side” to advance interoperability, enhance mutual awareness, and build trust.
This exercise, which we conducted for the third time, shows NATO’s commitment to strengthen Georgia's defence capabilities, by training and educating its armed forces it is demonstrating NATO’s close cooperation with Georgia,” he said.
Stoltenberg underlined NATO would stand up to defend core principles, including “every country’s right to choose its own path.”
This is also Georgia’s right and it must be respected. Strong and capable armed forces are key to uphold Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and NATO will continue to support you in your efforts,” the Secretary General concluded.
The NATO-Georgia Exercise is part of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, which aims to enhance Georgia's compatibility with the alliance.
The first edition of the exercise was held in 2016 and involved 14 NATO allied and partner nations.
Georgia has repeatedly proven to be a “trusted and experienced” NATO partner capable of making a “valuable contribution” to global peace and security, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said on Thursday at an event held for the 2022 NATO-Georgia Exercise.
Georgia is a democratic state based on the rule of law and bound by a “valuable unity” with its partners and NATO, which has been “repeatedly demonstrated” through democratic reforms and contribution to global security, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Thursday in an event for the 2022 NATO-Georgia Exercise.
It is “especially important” for Georgia to continuously develop its defence capabilities, strengthen resilience and improve its compatibility with NATO standards, President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili said on Thursday at an event held for the 2022 NATO-Georgia Exercise.
Necessary steps should be taken to ensure European prospects for Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on Thursday ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit.
NATO “greatly values” its long-standing cooperation with Georgia, Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana tweeted on Tuesday following his meeting with the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Shalva Papuashvili.
The ongoing cooperation between Georgia and NATO was discussed between Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, and Javier Colomina, the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, in Tbilisi on Wednesday.
The NATO of the future needs a responsible and strong ally like Georgia for the challenges it is facing, Irakli Beraia, the Chairman of the Committee on Defence and Security of the Parliament of Georgia, said on Wednesday.
NATO will strengthen its support for Georgia, Teona Akubardia, an MP from the opposition Strategy Aghmashenebeli party, told georgian media outlets following a special meeting of Georgian MPs with Javier Colomina, the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, in the Georgian Parliament on Wednesday.
NATO values Georgia very much as its partner, Javier Colomina, the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, said on Wednesday following his meetings with the Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and members of the Parliament’s Defence and Security Committee.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday said the “brutal invasion” of Ukraine by Russia had demonstrated the need for NATO to provide support to countries including Moldova and Georgia.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday hailed the “outstanding contribution” by the country’s troops in international missions, as the Week of Injured Servicemembers launched at the Maro Makashvili Military Servicemember Rehabilitation Centre north of capital Tbilisi.
Georgia-NATO relations and the importance of institutional and democratic reforms in the country were discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between the Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili and Javier Colomina, the NATO secretary general’s special representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia.
The progress achieved by Georgia on its Euro-Atlantic integration path and the main directions of the country’s relations with NATO were discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between the Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili and Javier Colomina, the NATO secretary general’s special representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Georgian parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili and defence minister Juansher Burchuladze, as well as foregin minister Ilia Darchiashvili, on Tuesday, held meetings with Javier Colomina, the NATO secretary general’s special representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia.