Cooperation between Georgia and the NATO enters a new stage. Georgia’s striving to join the NATO is not so imaginary.
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO Secretary General, will pay a two-day working visit to Georgia on October 03-04.
Prime-News was told at the Press Center of the Parliament of Georgia that Jaap de Hoop Scheffer would hold meetings with Mikheil Saakashvili, President of Georgia, Zurab Noghaideli, Prime Minister of Georgia, and Nino Burjanadze, Chairwoman of the Parliament of Georgia.
The NATO Secretary General will deliver lectures for students at Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili State University.
Within the framework of his visit to Georgia, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer together with the President of Georgia will visit Sighnaghi.
Perspectives of starting MAP with Georgia were discussed during a two-day visit of Robert Simons, special representative of the NATO Secretary General to South Caucasus and Central Asia, to Georgia.
The issue of peaceful resolution of conflicts on the territory of Georgia was discussed at the NATO-Georgia meeting (26+1 format) at the level of NATO Senior Political Committee Reinforced (SPCR) held at NATO HQ, on Tuesday.
The delegation of Georgia was headed by David Bakradze, State Minister of Georgia for Conflict Resolution, consisted of Elene Khoshtaria, Deputy State Minister for European and Euro- Atlantic Integration, Revaz Beshidze, Head of the Georgian Mission to NATO, and Alexsander Nalbandov, Director of the International Organizations Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.
David Bakradze briefed NATO Allies on Georgia's efforts and future plans for peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Tskhinvali Region, Georgia and Abkhazia, Georgia.
NATO Allies reiterated their strong support for the territorial integrity of Georgia and welcomed Georgia's efforts and commitments for peaceful resolution of the conflicts.
Eduard Shevardnadze, ex-president of Georgia, during his presidency declared that Georgia would join the NATO in five years. There are reasons for presuming that this would happen earlier and the visit of the NATO Secretary General to Georgia is conformation of that.
Konstantin Gabashvili, Chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign relations, told Prime-News that the visit of Jaap de Hoop Scheffer to Georgia is important for the country.
According to him, Georgia is striving to join the NATO and the visit of the NATO Secretary General will probably accelerate the process.
"If someone is against Georgia's joining the Alliance, their efforts are groundless," stated Gabashvili.
Irakli Aladashvili, military expert, told Prime-News that the visit would accelerate Georgia's joining the NATO.
"Sooner of later Georgia will join the NATO and it is inevitable process," stated Aladashvili.
