Speech

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER [NATO Deputy Secretary General]: Thank you so much, thank you for that very kind introduction. And thank you also to the chairman for his warm welcome to this beautiful region. I’ve only been here a few hours and mostly been stuck inside, but I can see why it’s getting named to be a tourism magnet, I think that’s great. So good luck with that.

I’m really delighted to be back in Georgia. My last visit was just about this time last fall and the warmth of the Georgian welcome, it’s legendary, but I’ve experienced it a number of times and it’s always a pleasure to be back here.

I’m particularly pleased, this is my first time in Batumi. I’ve never been here before. And with all our NATO Allies we’ve been enjoying it this afternoon and really quite pleased to have this opportunity.

Tomorrow we will be going to view your Coast Guard vessels and talking to some of the crews that NATO has been cooperating to train. And I think that will be really a good opportunity, as we’ve already heard mention, to talk more about NATO in Georgia and Georgia in NATO. Those are our watchwords that we live by every day when we work on our cooperation with your country.

I’m also delighted to be here to launch NATO Days. It’s an exciting programme of events and it will go on, just as said, throughout October, to show how NATO and Georgia are working together to improve Georgia’s defence capabilities and to pave the way to your eventual membership in NATO. So they’re very important for a number of reasons. But I hope you’ll take full advantage of the events that will be unfolding over the next month.

This visit, in and of itself, demonstrates the ongoing importance of our relationship and our commitment to strengthening our cooperation. Wherever I go, I always try to make time to speak to students, to university students, because I need to hear from you about what you’re thinking about the future of the security environment and the defence challenges that you will face, as well as your aspirations for the future and what you think is going to be most important. Clearly NATO is a defence alliance, no question about it. So we focus on defence and security. But I’m interested to hear what your concerns and priorities are as well, even beyond the defence world.

In Georgia and here in Batumi in particular, I think you can see the difference that a generation can make, because I understand that looking at the beautiful, you know, seafront and the way there’s been so much growth and development, I can see that, indeed, a generation has made a difference.  So that’s really the message I wanted you to take away with you today: that each and every one of you has tremendous power to make a change for the future.

Now, let me talk for a little bit about NATO’s enduring partnership with Georgia. Our unique partnership dates back almost 30 years, long before many of you were born. And it has only increased in depth and in breadth. NATO leaders have consistently reiterated their decision from Bucharest in 2008, that Georgia will become a member of NATO. We know that this matters to Georgia. It matters to you. It matters to your families. It also sends a strong message that no country has the right to interfere in, or decide, another country’s destiny. Russia’s repeated disregard for international law and the values that underpin it will not deter us from working closely with Georgia. It has only made our resolve and our relationship stronger.

NATO continues to call on Russia to withdraw its troops from Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These territories are part of Georgia. We will never recognise them as anything else. We condemn the grave human rights violations, militarisation and construction of border-like obstacles and barbed wire fences. We commend national efforts to reduce tensions through your Steps to the Future programme and other measures that Georgia is taking, to negotiate also a peaceful resolution and improve the everyday lives of Georgians in those regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Today, at our NATO-Georgia Commission meeting, which we just finished, Allies around the table spoke to commend Georgia for your restraint and for your pragmatic approach to trying to continue to advance the peace process and make a difference in the lives of those citizens living in Abkhazia in South Ossetia.

Let me talk now about our strong framework for cooperation. NATO supports Georgia through a range of political and practical measures. The NATO-Georgia Commission – that’s what’s brought us here to Batumi – has provided the framework for our cooperation since 2008.

NATO’s liaison office in Tbilisi offers practical support and guidance to the government and to civil society on the ground. I hope you’re already following them on Facebook, but if you’re not I highly recommend it. They’re really great and they have a lot to say about NATO’s cooperation with Georgia and Georgia’s cooperation with NATO.

Through Georgia’s Annual National Programme we provide practical advice on both military and civilian aspects of reform. And this year we are celebrating five years of the substantial NATO-Georgia Package, which is helping to strengthen Georgia’s defence capabilities and resilience and our ability to work together.

So what does all this mean concretely? Experts from NATO Allies and partners are on the ground every day, providing training and advice on everything from cyber threats to crisis management, from aviation to training of your special forces. Our Joint Training and Evaluation Centre, which is just outside of Tbilisi, is the centrepiece of our substantial package of cooperation. It offers joint training and exercises between Georgia and NATO Allies and partners. And by the way, just this last March I was really happy about this, because the JTEC as we call it – the Joint Training and Evaluation Centre – JTEC, has really gone from strength to strength in recent years and what was so important about the NATO-Georgia Exercise last March is that it was Georgian-led and Georgian planned, from beginning to end, with the JTEC taking the lead in doing that. And that’s a very important step forward in the defence planning process.

Earlier this year, I mentioned that we had this joint training exercise in March, and it actually brought 24 NATO Allies and partners together as well, so it wasn’t only Georgia per se, but it was truly Georgia plus NATO.

We are stepping up our support now, as I mentioned a moment ago, to the Georgian Coast Guard. NATO wants to ensure that the Black Sea remains a source of stability and security for NATO Allies but also partners. We also heard today at our NGC meeting from your neighbour Turkey and also Bulgaria and Romania, with some very strong comments about the necessity of sustaining and building, strengthening security for all in the Black Sea, because they are NATO members and also littoral states here around the Black Sea. And so your security and their security is important to us all.

Let me talk a little bit more about Georgia’s contributions. Georgia is a small country, but you’re standing on the global stage is great. Your armed forces are renowned for their dedication and professionalism.

By the way, just like your rugby team, you know, the US lost yesterday to France at the Rugby World Championships in Japan. I understand your team lost today to Fiji, but you’re still in the game and I know that the Georgian team are strong fighters, so I really wish them best of luck for their next round with Australia next week. You’re not out of it yet. I don’t know about the US, we may be out of it but we’ll leave that go.

Anyway, Georgians have made a tremendous contribution to NATO and EU-led missions and operations. Georgia is the largest non-NATO contributor to NATO’s training mission in Afghanistan. And, by the way, you now have a Brigadier General serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff at the RSM mission, the Resolute Support Mission, in Afghanistan and taking the lead on the Train, Advise and Assist Mission. And I think that’s another sign of Georgia’s leadership as a partner of NATO. And truly, we really appreciate it.

I will say also though, that we appreciate further that the Georgian people have paid the ultimate price in Afghanistan, with 29 of your young people lost there. So we also acknowledge and recognise that and constantly remember that you are truly making a huge contribution to our joint operations and missions.

Georgia is participating in NATO’s response force also, enhancing our ability to deploy wherever and whenever we are needed. And Georgia is committing to spending 2 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product on defence, including 20 per cent of that amount to modernise its forces. This is what we call the Defence Investment Pledge inside NATO and we are driving hard to make sure that all NATO Allies get to that goal by 2024. But you are already doing it and we appreciate that very much.

We recognise the enormous contributions and sacrifices the Georgian people have made for our shared security. Georgia has made substantial progress in modernising your defence forces and building stronger defence institutions. First and foremost, this helps you to better defend your own country and that’s at the core of the matter. It also enables you to make valuable contributions to wider regional and global security. It’s a virtuous circle, as we say, a virtuous circle: greater security helps to consolidate democracy and boost economic development and, in turn, a robust society and economy helps to strengthen your sovereignty and territorial integrity.

This does not mean that there are not serious challenges ahead for Georgia. Reform of the judiciary, control of law enforcement, media freedom, free and fair parliamentary elections. We want to see that coming up in 2020. All of these will be key. But, again, NATO is ready to work with you on all of these goals.

Georgia’s partnership with NATO contains all the political and practical tools necessary to enable membership when the conditions are right. Georgia must continue to pursue the necessary reforms, so that when NATO Allies are ready to take the next step in the political process, Georgia is also ready.

Continuing the pace of reform and realising Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic ambitions will be a societal and a generational challenge. This process will require hard work and patience, which is perhaps a luxury that only comes with age. Change may not come overnight, but we have seen what can happen in a generation and, as I said, we can see that right here in Batumi.

But in every moment of adversity there’s always opportunity as well. In order to seize these opportunities, we will need your minds, the very best minds and talents – your talents.

So as I said at the beginning, never underestimate your potential to make a difference. You need to, as I do, think about how we can think big and build the future. But you’re right at the beginning of your careers, your lives, and I see huge opportunities for you to think big and make a difference. So thank you for your attention. I look forward to your questions. Thank you very much.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much for a very detailed analysis of NATO-Georgia cooperation. Yes. Our cooperation goes many, many years ago and we’ve achieved a lot of success and Georgia today at the highest level of interoperability and especially when it comes to the military-to-military cooperation. And just recently General Breedlove emphasised that during his opening remarks at one of the big functions that was held in Georgia.

I’m sure there will be a lot of questions, Georgia-specific questions from the audience. But now I would like to focus a little bit more on NATO and its defence and deterrence posture. None of us can imagine global peace and stability without NATO. NATO has been cornerstone of European and Euro-Atlantic security, and today NATO operates in a very unpredictable security environment, mostly created by aggressive actions from the Russian Federation. Its annexation, as I mentioned, in my opening remarks of invasion, occupation, annexation of Georgia in Ukraine. It’s hybrid warfare in elements, cyber-attacks on the NATO Allies. Everything represents a significant threat and challenge to NATO. And NATO came up with robust policies and decisions starting from Wales. And as you very precisely coined during your remarks at the Brussels Forum, if I’m not mistaken, big arc of effectiveness. So three key milestones: Wales, Warsaw and Brussels. So these decisions significantly strengthen NATO’s defence and deterrence posture. Can you talk a little bit about it? Thank you.

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: Absolutely, I call it the big arc of effectiveness, but also an important watchword for NATO is adaptability. It’s basically the necessity to be able to respond to whatever the world may throw at us in terms of our needs for deterrence and defence.

In 2014, we call that a real watershed year for NATO, because in that year we saw the rise of Daesh and, you know, the emergence of the Caliphate established in Mosul. And that was a real wakeup call. And that led to a re-emphasis on the counter-terrorism mission in NATO, a real focus on that necessity, although we had and have been fighting terrorism at its core from, practically from 9/11, when Article 5 was invoked for the first time in the United States. Thanks to … not thanks to, but because of the attack on the United States. In addition to which, of course, that was the year when Russia seized Crimea and destabilised the Donbass. I absolutely agree with you that this process started in 2008 here in Georgia with the Russian so-called declaration of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia with their insertion of further military forces into those regions. So we’ve had not only a terrorist threat to contend with, but a threat also that called forth the necessity of more attention once again to our mutual defence.

And so in Wales first, in 2014, we put in place the decisions that led to our initial Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, our ability to try to get some forces into place rapidly when they and should they be needed. And so that was an initial response. Moving on to the Warsaw Summit in 2016, we made the decision to deploy four battlegroups in the three Baltic States and in Poland. And this is by no means a force that’s able to defend, should there be a Russian invasion or a Russian attack. But it is a trip wire and it’s a trip wire because these battle groups involve units from all over the Alliance, from all the way down south in Albania, to all the way up north in Norway. And so if there should be an attack, the attacker knows that he’s engaging not only the Baltic States and Poland, he is engaging the entire Alliance. So that’s why we call it a deterrence tripwire.

Then, coming to our next summit meeting in Brussels in 2018, we took the decision that we really had to work and work hard on reinforcement.  On being able to bring further forces to bear, should there again be an attack on NATO. And NATO had not done this for many, many years, bringing forces across the Atlantic from the United States, from Canada, bringing forces from across the Alliance to reinforce should it be necessary and to reinforce rapidly. That means a lot of work on, not only on having the troops available to reinforce, but making sure they are ready. And so now we have something going on we’re calling The Readiness Initiative, which is really focussed on ensuring that there’s a culture of readiness throughout the Alliance and that we are truly ready should we be faced with a crisis or, heaven forbid, with a conflict.

So we have moved, I think, well to adapt over these years, but there’s still a huge amount to be done. And, by the way, we learn from our partners. You mentioned how we are facing hybrid cyber-attacks. Absolutely, yes. Many, many. But we are learning from our partners, such as Georgia, because Georgia, you’ve been facing these kinds of threats now and these kinds of attacks for a long time.  So it’s, as I see it, our partnership is a two-way street and it has to be a two-way street. We have to learn from you as well.

MODERATOR: Thank you. Thank you very much. I certainly don’t want to abuse my position as a moderator and ask all the questions, so now I’d like to open the floor to the students to come up with their questions. But first, please identify yourself and keep your questions pretty short, because we have some time constraints. First. Yes.

QUESTION: Hello again. First of all, thank you for your attention. My name is Alexander. I’m from Batumi state Maritime Academy. And I’d like to ask, nowadays what’s the exact obstacle for Georgia’s integration into NATO and what, then again, what additional steps should Georgia take to successfully join the Alliance? Thank you.

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: I think the most important steps for Georgia at this moment are related to the continuation of reforms. And this was a message all around the table today in our NATO-Georgia Commission meeting, that there is a necessity to continue the reform process, for example judiciary reform, oversight of the security forces, continued work to fight against corruption, development of a free and open media. By the way, I’m glad we had a lot of people from the media at our NGC meeting today and I’m welcoming their presence here today as well.

But all of those, all of those aspects, are very, very important and as I also stressed in my remarks, I think that the progress you’re making on defence reform has been very, very important, because it is developing the kind of partnership that makes it very clear for NATO members exactly what strengths Georgia has, what role it can play in being a security provider. And that’s very important for any decisions about NATO membership: is a country – this is actually part of the Washington Treaty – is a net security provider? And so I think everything Georgia’s doing on the path to Defence Reform is also developing that trend line and also developing that view inside and among NATO members. Because the last thing I have to say is, you know, yes, the Washington Treaty says NATO membership is open to European countries who are security providers, but it also says that all NATO countries must agree. So it’s important, also, to work toward that consensus among NATO members. And that’s an important way to go about it, to continue along the path of reform, including defence reform, and to build up the view among NATO members that Georgia is indeed a security provider.

MODERATOR: Thank you. More questions. Yes please. So, gentlemen in military uniforms are active. So we need more questions from others too.

QUESTION: My question will be about the Port of Anaklia. So could you please tell us a little bit about that and could you please tell us about the importance of Anaklia Port and whether it will or not increase the importance of the country for the organisation - for the NATO itself?

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: Could you tell me a little bit more about Anaklia, because I’ve read about it, but I don’t really know at what stage the construction is and so forth, it’s being developed as a, as a port, is that correct?

QUESTION: It is developing, we are told.

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: Ah-ha.

MODERATOR: It is a project. It is a strategic project for Georgia, after that we’ll have a deep sea port, which significantly improves our abilities to receive the big ships and vessels, transport vessels as well as military vessels. And, needless to say, this is the must-build project in Georgia.

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: I see. Well thank you for that clarification again. I’ve read about it in the newspapers, but I wasn’t quite sure at what stage it was. I think, and I want to go back to the remarks I made, because I talked about that virtuous circle. The more you have, the more you have your security built up, the more it contributes to economic health, and the more that economic health can help to build political strength and sovereignty. And so when I look at big projects of this kind, and I don’t know a lot about the details of Anaklia, there may be some nuances that I don’t . . . I’m sure there are some nuances about it I don’t understand, but I think it can be part of a virtuous circle to have such infrastructure projects underway that can help to allow for your economic development, can help to allow for a freer flow of commerce in and out of Georgia. That’s important. And, in turn, as your economic health continues to develop – and I know that there have been good years of growth in the Georgian economy – but as your economic health continues to develop and your commerce links to the outside world. I understand also from our discussions today that you have free trade agreements, you know, with many important actors, both regionally and internationally.  All of this helps in strengthening your sovereignty, your independence, your political stability. And that, in turn I think, also is part of what builds up your defence and security capacity and capability as well.

So it’s all part of a virtuous circle. I guess I’m not exactly commenting on Anaklia per se, but in a more general sense that, yes, good infrastructure development is needed - it’s part of the economic health of a country which, in turn, participates in its security and stability.

MODERATOR: Thank you for excellent answer on the questions. More questions. We have hand over there please, pass the mic.

QUESTION: Hello, I’m from Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University. It’s a big honour for me to be here and have an opportunity to ask you a question. Ah well, the model for Georgia’s membership in NATO presented by Luke Coffey from Heritage Foundation and General Secretary Rasmussen causes both the optimism and worry for the different part of the Georgian society. How realistic is this implementation . . . the implementation? And what is the official attitude of the Alliance towards this scenario. Thank you.

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: Actually, this approach is not under discussion at NATO. And I mentioned, again, the importance of continuing, as I call it, to keep our eye on the prize and continue to, to work on developing the reform processes here in NATO . . . I’m sorry, in NATO, of course we have reform processes, but here in Georgia, to build up the reform processes and also to continually work to strengthen both your defence but also your security profile overall. So I think, you know, it’s really important, as I say, to keep, keep our eye on that prize and that’s where the NATO Allies are focussed as well.

MODERATOR: Yeah, this is . . . if I may just add a little bit. This was the idea of dear friends of Georgia, Luke Coffey was mentioned from Heritage Foundation, then previously the Atlantic Council of the United States also had this in their policy papers, then later, the former Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen voiced during the McCain Conference a couple of weeks ago. These initiative has the merit to be discussed but, of course, first and foremost, we have to discuss it internally and agree on it. And I’m personally for it, 100 per cent, that this is the way how Georgia should move forward on its way towards NATO membership. And I think it’s high time to start internal discussions on that. But again, it’s on Georgia and it’s up to us and up to our government to launch intensive dialogue within the government, as well as to consult with the public on this, in my opinion very, very precise and rational path towards NATO membership. More questions.

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: Could I just comment on that, before I let this question go? As I said, it’s not under discussion among NATO Allies at Headquarters. And indeed, I think, again, to recollect the point I made a little while ago, you need to think and think hard about the best way to develop consensus among the Allies on your membership path. So, you know, what’s the best way to go about that? You know, it’s in many ways going to be up to Georgia to decide that. But I do think the necessity of developing consensus should be always part of your considerations.

MODERATOR: Absolutely, absolutely so true. So to questions from the audience. I see a hand here, yes.

QUESTION: Hello my name is Marion and I am from University of Kutaisi. In 2008 there were . . . there were a lot of arguments about MAP of Georgia, but there was anything about it. So, my question is: do you think that by granting MAP to Georgia would have helped you … would have helped to . . . sorry. I’m nervous.

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: That’s okay. I can talk about MAP a while?

MODERATOR: You can ask in Georgian and we can translate. Yes, go ahead.

QUESTION: Sorry.

MODERATOR: No, it was a question about MAP – Membership Action Plan . . .

QUESTION: Yes, yes.

MODERATOR: In 2008 Summit. Yeah. Georgia came up from the Summit short of Membership Action Plan, was it the right decision or wrong? Of course it was consensus-based decision, but from your perspective?

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: Well, every country aspiring to NATO membership comes through the process with its own, you know, with its own particular path toward membership. So it’s, you know, not necessarily so that every country follows the same exact path, but MAP is an inherent part of the membership process, an integral part of it. There is no question about that.

Nevertheless, Georgia has had an Annual National Programme now for many, many years and its Annual National Programme has driven so much substantive, pragmatic progress that it’s truly impressive. And so I think, you know, that, again – and we’re getting to the point now we’re going to be renewing the ANP again, the Annual National Programme again – and I think it’s, again, an opportunity for Georgia to continue to move forward with your reforms.

So, I don’t get so hung up on MAP, no MAP. Others are asking ANP, no ANP. I don’t need to get into too many details there. But the point is that every country who is aspiring to NATO membership has its own path in that direction. And your path with the ANP being such an integral and important part of it, has been, so far I would say, very productive for Georgia’s security overall and, at the end of the day, your defence and security is the most important concern for Georgia.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much. We haven’t talked about The Black Sea, per se, and the Black Sea security and the NATO’s measures. We see NATO vessels entering in our ports. We see delegations visiting. But we all have an impression that it’s not enough. So what more should we expect from NATO? As NATO is projecting concrete steps in support of the security and stability to this vital region for Euro-Atlantic security.

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: I’m really, really glad that tomorrow we get to see the two Coast Guard ships that have come from Poti to Batumi. And we’ll have a chance to meet the various crews that we’ve been training for boarding processes and procedures. To me, these kinds of maritime measures are very, very important.

 But I have a personal pleasure in seeing those ships tomorrow, because when I was the Undersecretary of State, as you mentioned, that was my preceding job, we were looking at a small number of US Coast Guard ships that were being declared excess to Coast Guard needs. And we were deciding, you know, which partners would get them. And I was fighting for Georgia to get them. So I was very, very glad that they came after they’d been refurbished in Baltimore, that they came here to Georgia and it’s now part of your Coast Guard. They are now part of your Coast Guard. I consider it a kind of personal victory. So I’m very glad I have the chance to see them tomorrow.

We need to do more of these kinds of maritime measures. One thing we agreed today in the NGC, in the NATO-Georgia Commission, is that we are going to refresh the substantial NATO-Georgia package. That means we will be looking at new directions for cooperation. And I think . . . and for building up different kinds of projects. But, frankly, these maritime measures which have really been agreed in the past year, seeing a rise in the kind of challenges, security challenges in the Black Sea, following also the Russian seizure of Crimea, there are challenges to freedom of navigation in the Sea of Azov area. So there are a number of reasons why we have been upping our attention to maritime measures here in the Black Sea.

We have an opportunity, through this process of refreshing the SNGP -  Substantial NATO-Georgia Package – to look more at further maritime measures. So I know that will be on the agenda. It’s something that will have to be, again, agreed with Georgia, you’re going to have to decide what your priorities are. But from a NATO perspective, we think this is a good  direction to proceed.

MODERATOR: Excellent. Thank you very much. More questions from the audience. I see hand over there.

QUESTION: Hello. I’m from Shota Meskhia, University of Zugdidi. So, I’d like to ask you one question: what should our country expect from London summit which will be held in December this year? Thank you very much for your attention.

MODERATOR: Very good question.

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: The first thing I have to say is it’s not a summit. And that’s an important point for you all to hear, because summit meetings are maybe two days long. There are many opportunities to meet not only among Allied leaders but also with our partners. So, for example, the Brussels Summit in 2018, we had Georgia there. We put in place a very important statement agreeing certain new measures among the leaders. Very, very important.

This meeting coming up in London in December, we’re just calling simply a Leaders Meeting, because there’s only one working session and a dinner. That’s it. And we’re not meeting with any partners. So Georgia is not being singled out, from that point of view, as far as the Leaders Meeting is concerned.

But at the same time, we’re going to have a very important platform in London called the NATO Engages platform. It’s a very large event, where we are inviting all of our partners to send representatives at a high level, to talk about your aspirations, to talk about your priorities, to talk about your objectives and to really have an opportunity to speak on a world stage about Georgia and where you would like to go with NATO.

So I did want to put that out there. We’ve talked to the Georgian government about sending high level representatives to the NATO Engages event and we think that will be an important opportunity.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Thanks - more questions. Yes we have hand over there. Please.

QUESTION: Hello. I’m a student from Shota Meskhia, Teaching University of Zugdidi. First of all, I want to thank you for being here. That’s very important for us. And I have one question for you. And my question is: to what extent is the level of preparation of the Georgian army in line with NATO, with standards? Thank you for your attention.

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: That’s a very good question, because NATO interoperability, as we call it, interoperability, is always a very important aspect of how we are able to work together.  And also, inside the Alliance among the Allies, interoperability is an important point, as well as following NATO standards on everything from, from peacekeeping to other kinds of military operations.

So very, very important and it’s one of the things that we have been able to work on so much at the Joint Training and Evaluation Centre, the JTEC, that I mentioned in my remarks. So Georgia’s made a huge amount of progress in that regard.

But there is still work to be done. And one of the things that now, I also mentioned in my remarks, that you’re spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence and of that amount 20 per cent should be spent on modernisation, on acquiring new capabilities, on ensuring that your equipment . . . this is the NATO Defence Investment Pledge, which Georgia has embraced. So, you know, in a way you’re doing this voluntarily, I don’t want to say you’ve taken on an obligation or a commitment in the same way NATO Allies do. But it’s important also to think about that 20 per cent investment in capabilities and what you need to be interoperable, to be able to work together with NATO. So how that money is spent is also a very, very important question. It’s a question we ask Allies every day. As Georgia is volunteering in this regard it’s, as I said, not quite the same commitment, but we do really urge all our partners to think about interoperability of your equipment, ways you train your soldiers, the standards that you follow. And from our perspective, it’s very important, not only for our partnership, but also important for the way that we think about participation in crises, conflict or peacekeeping.

If I may, I want to take a moment with this question to talk about our commitment to Women, Peace and Security and defence of the rights of civilians in armed conflict. These kinds of principles are also extremely important, they’re backed up by UN Security Council Resolution, like Women, Peace and Security: UN Security Council Resolution 1325. So, in working with our partners we also like to ensure that there’s this interoperability of values as well and that we are working, also, to advance the rights of women, working to ensure the security of civilians in armed conflict, particularly protect women and children. So there’s also a kind of values aspect to this as well. And I wanted to say that Georgia has been an absolutely great partner working with us on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and other related issues. We really appreciate the partnership in this regard and your work on these issues.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much and I think I’ll speak on behalf of the audience here, that we are proud of our men and women in uniform. They serve amazingly, especially overseas in hardship positions. In Afghanistan as we speak, 870 Georgians are deployed in Afghanistan and, with your permission, I want to send all of our best regards to our troops in Afghanistan and also to American troops and NATO troops who, at the expense of their life, they protect our peace and stability. We have time for one last question. But keep it very short.

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: But while we’re waiting for one more hand to go up, we had a colleague over here who thought maybe he’d be asking a question after he’d thought about it a while, I don’t know if it’s ready yet? But . . .

MODERATOR: You can ask in Georgian and we can translate if you . . .

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: But let me just join your comment, if I may, for a moment about Georgian troops in Afghanistan. We were just talking today at the NGC about how Georgia, for many years, has been working with the German lead nation up in Mazar-i-Sharif in the north. And it was actually Georgian Special Operation Forces who helped to prevent serious, serious damage to the German facility there and perhaps loss of German lives in an attack last year. So I know that, not only Germany, but also NATO as a whole, really, really appreciates the contribution that Georgia has made to RSM, whether we’re talking about Special Operations Forces or other contributions you have made.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much. I’ll have one concluding question if I may? Yes go ahead, after you.

QUESTION: I wanted to ask you what’s the NATO’s policy regarding … [inaudible] security and how you see the NATO’s role, Georgia’s role in it?

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: It’s very important, I think, to continue to build up our cooperation in this area. I mentioned that this can be a strong aspect, I think, of our refresh of the substantial NATO-Georgia Package. And so, we will be looking for other ways beyond what we’ve done so far, to really build up our cooperation in this area. For example, I think situational awareness, maritime situational awareness, will be an important way that we can continue to work together. And, you know, perhaps we are intent on looking for better ways to share information. So I think that’s an excellent area where I hope we could build up our cooperation.

MODERATOR: And my last question, what is the best advice you can give to those students here who’d like to pursue their professional careers in diplomacy and international security affairs? What are the skills and qualities they need to develop and pay particular attention?

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER: Well, from what I’ve heard today, you have already developed one of the most important tools and that is communication skills, because I congratulate you all on really asking very excellent and articulate questions in English. I could not do it in Georgian. I apologise for that. But in any event, that to me is the most important goal to go after, if you are looking for a career in international diplomacy, to be able to speak other languages and to do it well. And that’s really where I started my career at Georgetown University, as a student in the School of Language and Linguistics. And, well, I studied Russian maybe . . . I know that’s not very popular around here, but it has served me well as a negotiator on strategic arms limitation and reductions, so I make good use of it in my work. But that’s lesson number one.

Another thing I like to tell young audiences everywhere is: never apologise. Oftentimes if you’re at a table with people more senior than you are, you might start . . . maybe Georgians don’t do it. You’ll have to tell me Misha if this is a case or not. But young people might start out by saying, ‘Well, I’m not quite sure this is going to be right,’ or, ‘This might not be correct, but . . .’  And I had a very wise professor who said to me once, when I was apologising like that, he said, ‘Never apologise, just give your answer. Say what you need to say. Put it out there and if it’s wrong, somebody will surely tell you, but you need to be able to speak clearly, not apologise, get your message out very, very succinctly. And I think, to me, that was the best advice I ever got, in addition to being able to communicate.

MODERATOR: Thank you. What an inspiring answer, and I wish I were a student listening to you right now. I think we had a great panel and thank you very much for your excellent remarks. Thank you for being here in Georgia. Thank you for being friend of Georgia and thanks for helping us with our goal to become full-fledged member of NATO and sooner it happens, better it will be for European and Euro-Atlantic security.

Please help me to give rounds of applause to NATO Deputy Secretary General. And the final element of today’s panel, I’d like to invite Rector of Batumi State University to present a special book and a Georgian map with a NATO flag, which was produced here in the satellite of the university. Please.