Georgian President visits NATO HQ

In September last year, NATO offered Intensified Dialogue to Georgia, paving the way for a more intense political exchange with NATO Allies on the country’s membership aspirations and relevant reforms.

Using the Intensified Dialogue

“The most important point is that we use the Intensified Dialogue and the IPAP [Individual Partnership Action Plan] process to the full,” NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told reporters at a joint press point.

Mr. De Hoop Scheffer stressed that he would "never give timeframes in months or years" on progress to the next stage – the Membership Action Plan – as it is "a performance-related process". "The road to NATO is long and winding," he added.

The Secretary General said that a recent visit by NATO experts to Georgia gave a positive review of the country’s reform process, but also identified issues that need to be addressed, and that he discussed these with President Saakashvili.

Mr. De Hoop Scheffer praised Georgia's contribution to NATO-led operations, saying that it is important that it is a “security provider”.

He also stressed that last year’s NATO Summit in Riga expressed full support for Georgia’s territorial integrity and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

“We are on the track,” President Saakashvili told reporters, “we still have to do our homework, we still have to work on the reforms.”