No country has the right to interfere the process of Georgia's membership in NATO-Jens Stoltenberg
NATO Secretary General answered some questions at press conference in Georgia. The journalist from Reuters News Agency asked him what role Russia plays in political decision making over Georgia’s membership in NATO because Russia is opposing NATO’s enlargement.
Jens Stoltenberg answered: “For NATO it is a fundamental principle that every nation has the right to decide its own path including, what kind of security arrangements or military alliance it wants to be part of. And this not the only principle that NATO has subscribed to but it’s actually a principle that also Russia and all other European nations have subscribed to many, many times starting with the Helsinki Final Act back in the 1970s and then repeatedly done so in different international treaties. So for every sovereign nation, for every independent nation as Georgia it is a fundamental right to choose whether it wants to be a member of the Alliance or whether it doesn’t want to be a member of the Alliance.
That’s the independent decision of an independent nation. So whether Georgia is going to become member of NATO or not is up to NATO, the 28 allies and Georgia to decide, nobody else has the right to interfere or try to veto or try to intervene in that process. And this has been underlined by NATO again and again and NATO’s door remains open and that has been shown many, many times despite protests, despite expressions from Russia that they dislike the enlargement of NATO; NATO has continued to enlarge.
And we are now in the process of moving from 28 to 29 members because Montenegro is in the process of becoming the 29th member of NATO, showing that the door is open. NATO’s door to enlargement is still open and it’s still functioning. So, this of course also applies for Georgia and that’s the reason why we made a decision we made in Bucharest. I was there myself and that’s the reason why we have also reaffirmed that decision as late as at our Summit in Warsaw in July.”
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Prime Minister I. Garibashvili meets NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with Irene Fellin, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security.
The conversation at the meeting held at the Government Administration focused on NATO’s open door policy and Georgia’s integration into the North Atlantic Alliance. It was noted that Georgia has always been one of NATO’s most reliable and effective partners with a tremendous contribution to common Euro-Atlantic security.
As the Prime Minister pointed out, in many ways Georgia acts as an Ally, and it is commendable that the Allies have decided to provide Georgia with tailored support measures, which will help further strengthen Georgia’s defense capabilities.
The regional and global security environment and challenges were also discussed. Emphasis was placed on Georgia’s considerable role in cementing security in the Black Sea region.
The discussed topics included the 2nd National Human Rights Strategy approved by the Georgian Government in 2022 and covering the years 2022-2030. It was noted that the strategy dedicates a significant portion to gender equality and envisages constantly upgrading equality and non-discrimination legislation.
The conversation also touched on Georgia’s 2022-2024 National Action Plan for the Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security, and the Action Plan for Measures to Be Taken in 2022-2024 for Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and Protecting Survivors. It was emphasized that both documents include concrete actions and seek to promote gender equality across a variety of areas.
The meeting was attended by Head of the NATO Liaison Office in Georgia Alexander Vinnikov and Georgia’s Ambassador to NATO Victor Dolidze.
Press Service of the Government Administration
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NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, Ambassador Baiba Braže, today opened the “Russian War Crimes House” exhibition at the NATO Headquarters
Ambassador Braže reiterated NATO’s commitment in the Madrid Summit declaration to work with relevant stakeholders to hold all those responsible for war crimes accountable. Speaking in Ukrainian, Ambassador Braže said: “We stand in full solidarity with Ukraine, and we are determined to do all we can to support you. Your courage is an inspiration.”
The Russian War Crimes House exhibition consists of photos and a video depicting Russian atrocities in Ukraine. It will be on display at the NATO headquarters from 6 to 15 July. The exhibition was previously shown in Davos during the World Economic Forum in May 2022. It is organised by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.
Today’s opening ceremony was hosted by Ambassador Nataliia Galibarenko, the Head of the Mission of Ukraine to NATO. The Mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, who was himself abducted in March for several days by the Russian forces, spoke in person of the destruction of Ukrainian lives, livelihoods and cities by the Russian invasion. The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andrii Yermak, and the Ambassador-at-large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Anton Korynevych, addressed the audience remotely.
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between NATO and Ukraine, which established the NATO-Ukraine Commission providing the framework for our cooperation. Since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, NATO Allies have equipped and trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. Following Russia’s invasion earlier this year, Allies have stepped up with billions of dollars of weapons and other assistance to help Ukraine uphold its right to self-defence and prevail against Russian aggression.
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, together with the Georgian delegation, took part in today's special meeting of the North Atlantic Council within the scope of the NATO Summit in Madrid. Besides the Alliance's member states, the session's participants included the leaders of Finland, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea, and senior EU officials. The meeting discussed some of the challenges facing the global security architecture and the security environment emerging in the Euro-Atlantic space, with emphasis on the need to further the cooperation among NATO member and partner states in order to join forces toward helping maintain rules-based international order. The meeting also discussed the events unfolding in Ukraine. The importance of assisting Ukraine against the ongoing military aggression was also highlighted.
The Prime Minister of Georgia spoke about the worsening security situation in the Black Sea Region and Georgia's steps in light of these circumstances. The Prime Minister, in his speech, underlined the unprecedentedly high level of practical cooperation between Georgia and NATO over the past few years, also expressing hope that the country's progress in implementing reforms will have a positive impact on Georgia's path toward membership.
Several important documents have been adopted at the Madrid Summit, including the new Strategic Concept of NATO 2030, the Madrid Summit Declaration, and the Tailored Support Document for Georgia. Notably, all three documents contain issues of critical importance to Georgia. In particular, they reaffirm the decision made at the Bucharest Summit on Georgia's eventual NATO membership, also reinforcing NATO's open door policy, Georgia's status as an aspirant country, and the Alliance's unwavering support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The issue of Georgia is reflected in detail in the new Strategic Concept of NATO, the Alliance's guideline document in the course of the next ten years.
Notably, the Tailored Support Document for Georgia, approved at the summit, sets forth concrete measures for furthering Georgia's defense capabilities and enhancing NATO's effective engagement in this process.Press Service of the Government Administration
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I am departing for Brussels today, to hold high-level meetings; naturally, we will have discussions around our recently submitted questionnaire, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated during today's Cabinet meeting.
According to the Prime Minister, he is scheduled to meet with the NATO Secretary General, President Charles Michel of the European Council, the President of the European Parliament, and other senior officials.
"As you know, we completed the questionnaire ahead of schedule. Once again, I am thankful to all public servants engaged, the Ministers and the Cabinet as a whole, every institution, the Parliament, for making sure that the questionnaire is completed and submitted to the EU on time. I am about to have top-level meetings in Brussels on this and other issues. I will also meet with the NATO Secretary General, President Charles Michel of the European Council, the President of the European Parliament, and other senior officials. We will inform the public on the outcomes in due course," Irakli Garibashvili said.Press Service of the Government Administration
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The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili, met with the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, within the framework of the meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) at the level of Ministers of Foreign Affairs.
At the meeting, the Minister thanked the Alliance for inviting partner countries, including Georgia, to the NATO Ministerial Meeting , which is yet another demonstration of the Alliance's support for Georgia. The sides highlighted the Secretary-General's personal support for Georgia and its Euro-Atlantic integration, and the importance of ensuring the Alliance's continued and strong support in this process. The sides reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate intensely in the future. During his first meeting with the NATO Secretary General, the sides also exchanged views on the security environment in the region.MFA Georgia
