Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili Meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Georgian PM Irakli Gharibashvili met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. During the briefing, Stoltenberg affirmed that Georgia holds a significant position as one of NATO's close partners and assured continued support from the alliance. Furthermore, he expressed his expectations that Georgia would intensify its efforts towards implementing reforms.
"We talked about the NATO-Georgia partnership and how we can further strengthen it. In particular, we talked about the essential NATO-Georgia package.
I welcome Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations. You can count on political and practical support from NATO.
On the other hand, I hope that Georgia will redouble its efforts on internal reforms and uphold the standards of democracy," Stoltenberg said, adding that that is why he didn't welcome the introduction of the 'foreign influence' bill.
"It was incompatible with Euro-Atlantic values and the protection of fundamental freedoms.
The Georgian people have clearly stated that they want a democratic, economically prosperous country that will be integrated into the Euro-Atlantic region. NATO will continue its partnership on the way to fulfilling your aspirations", Jens Stoltenberg said.
At the meeting, the Secretary General of NATO reiterated his unwavering support for Georgia's territorial integrity. He went on to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, condemning Russia's military intervention as a 'toxic pattern' that needs to come to a permanent end.
"I was in Kiev last week and my message to President Zelensky was clear. NATO stands by Ukraine today and will go as far as necessary. We don't know when the war will end, but we do know that Russian aggression is a toxic pattern that must end once and for all. Georgia and the Georgian people understand this very well.
Ukraine defends itself according to the UN Charter, and the members of the Alliance support this," Jens Stoltenberg said.
The Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili expressed gratitude towards the NATO Secretary General for the alliance's continued support of Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations, as well as its commitment to safeguarding the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Additionally, he affirmed his willingness to engage in further discussions with the North Atlantic Alliance in order to strengthen their partnership.
"I would like to point out that we have made significant progress over the last 10 years. We signed an association agreement with the European Union, a free trade agreement, and visa-free travel.
Last year, we already adopted the European perspective, which was a historic decision, and we will actively continue working on the work of the so-called 12 priorities, which will be completed very soon. I am sure that Georgia deserves to receive the candidate status.
Also, I would like to mention that it was a privilege for us to open a joint training center in 2015, which is an excellent example of how NATO and Georgia cooperate with each other, and for that I want to thank you again. We are ready to further deepen our political dialogue and practical cooperation with NATO in all dimensions," said Gharibashvili.
