Tbilisi, July 12: Georgia has welcomed the communique of NATO countries, adopted at the alliance’s summit in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius, which confirmed Georgia’s right to join the block, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
“The Georgian side welcomes the support expressed both in political and practical dimensions in the summit’s final document. The readiness, confirmed by the [NATO] member states at the summit, is extremely important for Georgia to continue working toward the implementation of the decision made at the Bucharest Summit that Georgia will become a member of NATO,” the ministry said.
Georgia also welcomed NATO’s firm position on the inadmissibility of attempts to limit sovereign countries’ foreign and security policies, as well as the alliance’s unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the present security environment, the statement said.
“Georgia welcomes NATO’s recognition of Georgia’s significant contribution to global security and reaffirms its readiness to continue its active participation in NATO missions and operations,” the ministry added.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Tuesday that Georgia is exposed to constant risks when it expresses its desire to become a NATO member state.
“Georgia is at constant risk. It is true. That is, as long as we express our desire for [NATO] membership and while we are not a member of the alliance, of course, we are at constant risk. Therefore, the longer this situation persists, the longer the risks will persist,” Kobakhidze said in an interview with Georgian broadcaster 1TV.
If NATO had accepted Ukraine and Georgia’s bids to join the alliance in due time, there would not have been any hostilities and the current security situation in the region, he added.
On Tuesday, NATO member states reiterated in the communique that “the decision made at the 2008 Bucharest Summit that Georgia will become a member of the Alliance with the Membership Action Plan (MAP) as an integral part of the process,” as well as all elements of the decision and subsequent decisions.
(UNI)
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