Officials approve Georgia’s path to NATO integration
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A confidential document detailing Georgia’s path to becoming a member of NATO has been approved by Government officials.
Today, Georgia’s State Commission for NATO Integration announced it had approved the Annual National Program (ANP) for NATO Integration for 2014.
The document, which is not public, is a roadmap for Georgia’s eventual NATO membership and highlights Georgia’s reform targets.
The Commission’s session, led by the State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Alexi Petriashvili, said the document focused on Georgia’s plans for future cooperation with NATO.
The National Program also highlighted Georgia’s foreign policy priorities as well as challenges the country might face once Georgia signed the Association Agreement with the European Union this August.
Petriashvili said that Georgia’s progress in the line with ANP would be assessed at the NATO-Georgia Commission by NATO member states in Brussels.
During the discussion, the Georgian side will be represented by deputy State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, David Dondua and deputy Defence Minister Mikheil Darchiashvili.
In December 2008, NATO Foreign Ministers decided to further enhance the NATO-Georgia Commission through the development of an Annual National Program. Georgia has implemented and had carried out work on the Program since 2009.
Georgia has gained the support of Republican and Democratic parties within US Congress in its journey to closer ties with NATO.
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.
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.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has thanked Georgia for its outstanding role in NATO operations and praised Georgia’s efforts in implementing important reforms.
NATO has praised the Georgian Defence Minister for its strong support, progressing NATO’s anticorruption program and making significant gains in fighting corruption.
Georgia needed to focus on continuing progress toward civilian and military reform goals, as set out in the Annual National Program, the report unveiled.
James Appathurai, NATO secretary general’s special representative for Caucasus and Central Asia said it was too early to speculate whether Georgia would receive a Membership Action Plan (MAP) at the NATO Summit in September but said Georgia was on the right path.