NATO Secretary General’s Annual Report says Georgia one of NATO’s “closest partners”

An Annual Report of the Secretary General of NATO on Thursday said Georgia was one of NATO’s “closest” partners”, and an aspiring member of the alliance.

In his report, Jens Stoltenberg emphasised the substantial NATO-Georgia Package was the bloc’s “main tool for practical cooperation” with the country.

“Over time, a broad range of practical cooperation has supported Georgia’s reform efforts and its goal of Euro-Atlantic integration. Since its endorsement at the Wales Summit in 2014, it has grown to become one of NATO’s largest capacity-building packages”, the report said.

The document also noted that the 2023 Vilnius Summit Communique also reaffirmed that allies remained “committed” to supporting the eventual NATO membership of Georgia.

“In the context of the deteriorating security environment resulting from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which has significantly affected Georgia, the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package was further enhanced in 2023 in line with the Madrid Summit decisions to provide tailored support to Georgia”, the document noted.

The Report also added that the implementation of the package and its initiatives had continued to enhancing Georgia’s defence capabilities and improve interoperability.