Turkey, Istanbul, October 23 / Trend E. Tariverdiyeva /
Georgia can join NATO without the Membership Action Plan (MAP). But it is not clear when it will happen, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for European Integration, David Darchiashvili, said.
"At one time there was not MAP. So, you can logically conclude that the time will come when it will disappear again," Darchiashvili told Trend in Istanbul.
Georgia can become a NATO member without executing MAP, Georgian State Minister for Reintegration, Temur Yakobashvili, said answering journalists' questions about the possibility of joining NATO without MAP.
"We have a mirrored tool of joining NATO. It is an annual program of actions that will lead us to join the alliance," Yakobashvili said.
"After we have fulfilled all the obligations and requirements of the alliance, a political question on our acceptance will arise. All the countries - members of NATO must solve this ssue," Minister of State said.
In its turn, Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Nalbandov stressed that MAP is not an exclusive condition for joining NATO. "We rather successfully cooperate with the alliance within the annual program and NATO-Georgia Commission. So, this possibility is not excluded," he said.
Joining NATO is a two-way process, which depends on Brussels, Tbilisi, and, of course, Washington, he said. But in this case, the West has advantage in solving this issue in the West. If NATO is ready, it will happen, he said.
"Georgia wants it. No country joined NATO was completely ready. All the parameters and requirements are not fulfilled completely. The reforms are ongoing processes. There was political will to join NATO," Darchiashvili said.
He said that it is difficult to determine when NATO will do it.
Darchiashvili said that different factors and variables affect NATO's decision.
"These factors include individual members' opinions on how well NATO is ready to it at this stage of expansion processing from mere internal system and financial issues. Focus on Afghanistan and Russia as a factor of international policy in Caucasian conflicts are also taken into account," he said.
He said that all affect the alliance's decision. It is difficult to predict exactly when NATO will make a decision concerning Georgia's joining.
"Georgia has chances to join, as the main component of NATO is not connected with geopolitical calculations. NATO's main principle is to spread democracy in the region. It is the main guarantee of preventing the destabilization in the region. Cooperative Security is the principle of NATO. Georgia is sure to be regarded as a member of the alliance, " Darchiashvili said.
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