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Q: Welcome Madam Minister. Georgia's the first partner country to complete the Individual Partnership Action Plan, IPAP. Why is the IPAP important to your country?
SALOME ZOURABICHVILI (Foreign Affairs Minister, Georgia): First of all, it's important because we are the first country to have our IPAP adopted by the NAC [North Atlantic Council - NATO's top decision-making body]. It's very important because it's part of our internal reform process. It's one of the ways by which Georgia is really changing its own internal structures in defence, essentially, but not only in defence, in all the other political and economic fields. And it is for us one very important initial step towards membership and we are very determined to implement this Individual Partnership Action Plan in the coming years as swiftly and as fully as possible in order to get ourselves ready for the next stage.
Q: At their summit in Istanbul, NATO Allies agreed to appoint a Special Representative for the South Caucasus and a liaison officer for the South Caucasus. How will their appointment assist Georgia, and what types of cooperation is Georgia hoping to have with them?
ZOURABICHVILI: Well, it's... there too it's important in two ways. One because the appointment of the Special Representative and the liaison official will allow for more day-to-day coordination and contacts in relation with NATO Headquarters, and will assist us in the daily implementation of our programs.
But it's also very important as a political step, as a recognition of the importance of the Caucasus, in relation with NATO. It's one of the decisions of the Istanbul Summit as this is a new orientation and a new focus of NATO's attention, and we think that in that sense it is also very important that this region is recognized, its ability and its securities are recognized as being very important to NATO.
Q: Partnership for Peace is a two-day street. How does Georgia contribute to the Euro-Atlantic Partnership?
ZOURABICHVILI: Well, we're present in two of the major operations in Kosovo and in Afghanistan. We have been present for quite a time and that has helped us to prepare our own armed forces to be able to work together with NATO forces, and it has been a very positive action in that sense. And we also appreciate the fact that this has shown that we're not only recipients of security, but we're trying to be also contributors to the security.
And in that sense I think we have to underline the fact, although it's not a NATO operation, that we are going also to be contributors to the protection force of the UN Headquarters in Iraq.
And all of that is Georgia's... is representation of the fact that Georgia wants to be a major contributor to security, not only in the region, but in general.
Q: Thank you very much for you time.
ZOURABICHVILI: Thank you.