NATO official welcomes “good talks” in Tbilisi, pledges commitment to Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations
Javier Colomina, the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, arrived in Georgia on Wednesday. Photo: Javier Colomina’s Twitter
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Javier Colomina, the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, on Thursday said his meetings with Georgian officials in Tbilisi had involved “good talks”, and pledged the alliance “remains committed” to Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
In his social media post, the NATO official said his discussions with President Salome Zourabichvili, Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze had reviewed bilateral cooperation and expectations for the bloc’s Vilnius Summit in July.
Good talks in????????with @Zourabichvili_S, @shpapuashvili, @iliadarch, @ModGovGe & opposition. Discussed #NATO-???????? cooperation, Vilnius Summit, need to redouble efforts on reforms, democratic standards & continued support to ????????. #NATO is committed to ???????? and its euroatlantic aspirations pic.twitter.com/ft6kC6r8E6
— Javier Colomina (@JavierColominaP) May 25, 2023
He said the meetings had also discussed the “need to redouble efforts for [domestic] reforms and democratic standards”, and “continued support for Ukraine”.
Papuashvili on Wednesday highlighted the importance of the country’s further progress in its NATO integration on the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and subsequent “security challenges” in a meeting with Colomina.
Considering the challenging security situation, we hope that the NATO-Georgia partnership will be further reinforced”, Papuashvili told the NATO representative.
Colomina arrived in Georgia on Wednesday, following his meetings in Yerevan.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday highlighted that Russia's “aggressive actions” against its neighbouring countries had started not with its occupation of Crimea in 2014, but at least as far back as its 2008 invasion of Georgia.
Javier Colomina, the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, on Wednesday said the alliance was “fully committed” to Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, the “open door” policy and the decision taken at the NATO 2008 Bucharest Summit, where the bloc had pledged Georgia and Ukraine would become its members.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday highlighted the importance of the country’s further progress in its NATO integration on the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and subsequent “security challenges” in a meeting with Javier Colomina, the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday expressed his Government’s “readiness” to further deepen political dialogue and practical cooperation with NATO "in all dimensions".
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said Javier Colomina, the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, during his visit to Georgia, “once again emphasised” that “no one” was urging the country to impose bilateral sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday said “far too weak” perspectives of membership, offered by NATO to Ukraine and Georgia without efficient security guarantees, had exposed the two countries to Russian “vindictiveness” in the Kremlin’s military action against them over the years.