Parliament Vice Speaker highlights Georgia’s “strategic readiness” to join NATO
In his comments over the matter, Talakvadze noted the bloc’s reports and official statements “confirmed” Georgia was “compatible with NATO requirements” and “ready” for membership. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday said the country was in “strategic readiness” to join NATO and the Government was working “together with our partners” to gain a “political decision that Georgia deserves”.
In his comments over the matter, Talakvadze noted the bloc’s reports and official statements “confirmed” Georgia was “compatible with NATO requirements” and “ready” for membership.
Over the years, Georgia has been one of the large-scale participants in international missions among [NATO] non-member countries. The status quo is that Georgia is strategically ready for accession, and we are working with our partners to have such a political decision that Georgia deserves”, Talakvadze said.
“Georgia will definitely become a member of the European and Euro-Atlantic family. It depends on many international factors. You know how many international shifts and tectonic changes are followed by each NATO decision and each political step on enlargement”, he added.
Therefore, those who discuss this issue superficially and talk about Georgia in a superficial way, these people either have a superficial idea of NATO and international security, or they have a subjective interest in somehow damaging the image of Georgia”, the Parliament official claimed.
Talakvadze also stressed Ukraine was in a “toughest” war to defend its territory, adding it was “not surprising that it is on the international political agenda and under the spotlight” in discussions.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the country’s authorities would apply “as much effort as possible” to continue its progress towards NATO.
Cooperation between Georgia and Lithuania, the former's European integration and security matters in the Black Sea region were discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between the Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili and his Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis on the sidelines of the NATO Vilnius Summit.
Victor Dolidze, the head of the Georgian mission to NATO, on Monday said the country’s “ultimate goal” was full membership in the alliance, and noted “it probably matters less by which mechanism it will be ultimately determined - with or without the membership action plan”.
Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said Georgia was “strategically ready” for NATO membership and described the country as the alliance’s “reliable partner”, ahead of the bloc’s Summit on Tuesday.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Tuesday said the country “faithfully continues its Euro-Atlantic integration path” in her tweet while commenting on the ongoing NATO Summit.
Irakli Beraia, the Chair of the Defence and Security Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday said at the ongoing NATO Summit in Vilnius, Georgia was supposed to “get closer” to its “main foreign policy goal” - full integration into the Alliance.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the decision of the 2008 NATO Summit that Georgia and Ukraine would “definitely” become members of the bloc “remained in force”, and noted it was “understandable” that this year’s ongoing Summit had hot yielded “specific” outcomes.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Saturday said Georgia, the country’s armed forces and institutions were “fully compatible” with NATO standards, noting “the only thing that remains is the political decision of Alliance member countries”.