26 July 2006

NATO support for Georgia’s reforms News 26/07/2006 - NATO Visit to NATO of Mr. Zurab Nogaideli, Prime Minister of Georgia on Wednesday, 26 July 2006 Background The Partnership for Peace Multimedia High resolution photos of the visit Video file of the opening statements by the Secretary General and the Prime Minister in the North Atlantic Council (WMV/2201kb) Audio file of the opening statements by the Secretary General and the Prime Minister in the North Atlantic Council (MP3/1354kb) Audio file of the joint press point (MP3/5432kb) Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli briefed the North Atlantic Council on his country’s reform efforts during a visit to NATO HQ on 26 July. Speaking after the meeting, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said NATO countries recognize and support Georgia’s ambitious reform agenda. “It is important to implement every piece of it,” Mr. De Hoop Scheffer told reporters, “The Allies stand ready to support Georgia wherever necessary.” A security provider He said that NATO was pleased with Georgia’s progress and its transformation from a security consumer to a security provider, citing the country’s contribution to NATO-led operations in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Operation Active Endeavour. The Secretary General said the next steps in the relationship between Georgia and NATO – including a possible Intensified Dialogue on the country’s membership aspirations – will be discussed at an informal meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in New York in September, in preparation for NATO’s November Summit in Riga. The Secretary General said that while no invitations to joint NATO are expected to be issued at the Riga Summit, “signals” will be given to aspirant countries. “The aspirations of those nations who have clearly chosen for the route to Euro-Atlantic integration will be on the agenda,” he said. Prime Minister Nogaideli reiterated that joining NATO was his country’s “no.1 foreign policy objective”. The Prime Minister last visited NATO HQ in November last year. Georgia is one of five NATO partner countries that have an Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO.