Visit of President Shevardnadze
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During his three-day visit to Brussels, the President of Georgia, Mr Eduard Shevardnadze, met with Lord Robertson on 18 March. Their discussions mainly focused on the role of the Caucasus in the campaign against terrorism, Georgia's partnership with NATO and, in particular, NATO's assistance in helping Georgia modernise and reshape its armed forces.
In a joint press event, Lord Robertson stated that NATO was very conscious of "Georgia's territorial integrity and the need to protect it" in light of the problems in Abkhazia, in the north-west of the country. Georgia, he continued, was one of the most crucial countries in the Southern Caucasus, which through the modernisation of its armed forces would be better able to contribute to combating terrorism. President Shevardnadze added that partnership with NATO had already brought "very positive tangible results" and that it was very important to pursue this cooperation with NATO, especially in the field of defence reform.
Georgia engages in many cooperative activities with NATO, including seminars, military exercises and projects such as the new computer networking infrastructure that is being set by NATO's Scientific and Environmental Division. This "Virtual Silk Highway" is being developed for the Caucasus and Central Asia to provide Internet connections for science and education communities in the region.