28 Nov. 2005

Georgian Prime Minister outlines reform agenda Opinions 28/11/2005 - NATO Opening remarks of NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and H.E. Mr. Zurab Noghaideli, Prime Minister of Georgia 28/11/2005 - NATO Press point with NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and the Prime Minister of Georgia, Zurab Noghaideli Multimedia High resolution photos of the visit Meeting of the NAC Opening remarks NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and H.E. Mr. Zurab Noghaideli, Prime Minister of Georgia (.MP3/1615Kb) Video of the Opening remarks by NATO Secretary General an the Prime Minister of Georgia Press Point Audio file of the press point with NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and H.E. Mr. Zurab Noghaideli, Prime Minister of Georgia (.MP3/4201Kb) Video Interview Video interview with Zurab Noghaideli, Prime Minister of Georgia During a visit to NATO HQ on 28 November, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli said his country was determined to step up its defence reform process. Mr. Noghaideli outlined his government’s reform plans as well its peace proposals for South Ossetia in a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, and in an address to the North Atlantic Council. “We will double our efforts…homework will be done and will be done in time,” the Prime Minister told reporters, expressing hope that Georgia could soon join NATO’s Membership Action Plan. More work on defence reform Last year, Georgia became the first NATO partner country to sign an Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) with NATO. “Under IPAP Georgia has committed itself to undertake ambitious reforms and has established a good mechanism to steer and coordinate the reform programme, ” NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said at the opening of the Council session. “But there is much more work to do, in particular in the field of defence reform. A transparent, affordable, sound and democratically-controlled defence system is vital to the success of reforms,” he stressed The Secretary General pledged NATO’s support for Georgia ’s reform efforts and praised the country for its active contribution to NATO’s operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo, and its offer to participate in NATO’s counter-terorrist operation in the Mediterranean. This was the first visit by Prime Minister Noghaideli to NATO HQ. It follows a visit by the Defence, Foreign and State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration in May this year.