NATO commends Georgia

/By AzerNews/

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

NATO top official has commended Georgia as a "strong partner" and an "important contributor" for the alliance.

Hosting Georgian President Girogi Margvelashvili in Brussels on May 11, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Georgia played a remarkable role in NATO operations.

Margvelashvili's first visit to the NATO headquarters saw universal discussions on deepening the partnership between the alliance and Tbilisi.

"Today Georgia is the second largest contributor to our Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. And the Georgian troops have stood shoulder to shoulder with NATO for many years. And we are very grateful for that," Stoltenberg noted.

The NATO head also reiterated the military bloc's commitment to help Georgia modernize its defensibility.

"This will help you move closer to your aspiration of NATO membership," he said.

In view of NATO invitation to Georgia for joining an initiative to enhance interoperability with partners and the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package to strengthen Georgia's defense capabilities, Stoltenberg said "these initiatives are well on track".

He also expressed his belief that NATO training will help and support Georgia's ongoing defense reforms.

Georgia's progress in making its defense sector more transparent and accountable was also at the forefront of talks.

"We have seen significant progress. We encourage Georgia to deepen its democratic reforms. That includes strengthening the independence of the judiciary, and the rule of law," Stoltenberg said.

Concluding his speech, the NATO chief said: "Georgia is moving closer to NATO. We are looking forward to continuing working with Tbilisi on this path so we welcome it once again.”

In return, Margvelashvili thanked the NATO official for the Alliance's firm support of Georgia’s territorial integrity.

NATO and Georgia enjoy good friendly relations, being intertwined via Tbilisi's irreversible aspiration for an alliance membership and NATO's positive feedback in this regard. Both sides are going to launch a joint military training camp in Georgia's territory. Vaziani military base has been preliminarily assessed as the best suitable place. That being said a final decision has yet to be coordinated.