NATO praises Georgia’s Defence Ministry
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NATO has praised the Georgian Defence Ministry for its strong support, progressing NATO’s anticorruption program and making significant gains in fighting corruption.
The organisation’s Building Integrity (BI) Peer Review team prepared a report which analysed steps taken by the Ministry to promote transparency and integrity, and highlighted areas requiring further improvement.
In a letter to Defence Minister Irakli Alasania, NATO Acting Assistant Secretary General, James Appathurai wrote that the report preparation process "identified a number of good practices and innovative approaches initialed by the Ministry.”
Appathurai particularly drew attention to the steps Georgia have taken to:
- Increase the use of electronic procurement systems
- Enhance relations with civil society through regular contacts and establishment of the Citizen’s Reception Office
- Make use of promotion boards and independent testing of personnel
- Introduce an online asset declaration system to prevent corruption
"It is recommended that Georgia make use of both NATO and Southeastern European Defence Ministerial (SEDM) tools to promote your experiences and lessons learned,” he wrote in his letter.
"The BI team and the NATO Headquarters, as well as the network of NATO BI Subject Matter Experts and Implementing Partners, remain at your disposal and stand ready to assist you in taking forward work to strengthen transparency, accountability, and the integrity as well promoting good practice,” he stated.
The report was based on the self-assessment questionnaire prepared by the Georgian Defence Ministry and information gathered during the visit of the NATO BI Experts Team on December 9-12.
The BI Program is a part of NATO’s commitment to strengthening good governance in the defence and security sector established by the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council in 2007.
NATO and Georgian representatives reinforced their cooperation at a meeting of Defence Ministers at the NATO Georgia Commission - a forum for consultation between the allies and Georgia.
A group of US Congressmen have sent a letter asking the US Secretary of State to grant Georgia with a Membership Action Plan (MAP) at the NATO 2014 Summit.
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said the fact that the solid part of the US Congress supported Georgia’s integration with NATO was significant and a very important and positive sign ahead of the 2014 NATO Summit in London.
A confidential document detailing Georgia’s path to becoming a member of NATO has been approved by Government officials.
NATO Secretary General`s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia region James Appathurai is on a working visit to Georgia.
NATO Deputy Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia region James Appathurai said in Tbilisi today that he believed the Alliance would discuss whether NATO allies should deploy "defensive assets” in Georgia.
A NATO regional representative is in Tbilisi today to discuss ways to bring Georgia closer to the international Alliance.
Georgian defence minister Juansher Burchuladze on Thursday featured in the South-Eastern Defence Ministerial in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia that discussed regional security issues, Russia’s occupation of parts of Ukraine and Georgia, and cooperation between member states.