NATO Secretary General speaks with Georgian President Salome Zourabishvili

He stressed that the crisis has shown the key role that the militaries are playing in support of national civilian efforts, and the importance of NATO mechanisms to coordinate assistance. Mr. Stoltenberg praised Georgia’s efforts in fighting the pandemic and highlighted that following Georgia’s request for support to NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC), NATO Allies have  provided support to Georgia, including with medical supplies from Poland and from the United Kingdom and with bilateral financial assistance and medical supplies from the United States. The NATO Secretary General stressed that NATO is well aware of Georgia’s requirements and that more coordination is ongoing for additional assistance in the context of the pandemic.

The NATO Secretary General said that NATO and Georgia are unique and long-standing partners and stressed NATO’s support for Georgia’s  territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognised borders. Mr. Stoltenberg thanked President Zourabishvili for Georgia’s outstanding contributions to Euro-Atlantic security, including with its participation in the Alliance's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.  He stressed that the NATO-Georgia partnership contains practical and political tools to support Georgia’s ongoing reforms and to help prepare Georgia’s membership of the Euro-Atlantic community when the moment is right.

Mr. Stoltenberg highlighted that at their meeting last month, NATO Foreign Ministers decided to deepen the Alliance’s partnerships with Georgia and Ukraine even further. This includes efforts to share more air traffic radar data,  working jointly to address hybrid threats as well as exercises in the strategic Black Sea region.