2017 to be very active in NATO-Geo relations
By Tea Mariamidze
Tuesday, December 27
Georgia’s Foreign Minister, Mikheil Janelidze, said 2017 year would bring more active relationships in terms of Georgia and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) while delivering a speech at Parliament on Monday.
The Minister summed up the two-month activities of the ministry and spoke about the future foreign policy plans.
Janelidze noted that in early December, Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvilimet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who stressed that the alliance strongly supported Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and valued Georgia’s commitment to the alliance and international security.
The Minister said NATO would help Georgia enhance its defense capabilities and would alsosupport Georgia on its way to full alliance membership.
Janelidze mentioned that in January a NATO-Georgia joint commissionwill be created, wherein the European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Minister of Georgia will present the annual action plan.
Moreover, Janelidze said that Georgia would take part in a NATO defense Ministerial to be held in February 2017.
“The visit of the NATO Defense Committee to Georgia is scheduled for March 2017, which will assess the reforms implemented in the defense field. I want to underline that the NATO Secretary General positively assessed the planned defense reforms,” Janelidze said.
Moreover, according to the minister, Georgian and NATO officials have scheduled a meeting about the issue of communications.
“In May, a NATO Parliamentary Assembly will be held, and we are actively preparing for this event,” he added.
Janelidze explained that due to a mini format of NATO Summit 2017,oriented only on member states of the alliance, Georgia will not be able to raise its issues there.
“We have to concentrate on the 2018 Summit, where our main priorities will be presented,” he said, adding that NATO and Georgia would continue discussions over Black Sea Region security issues.
