USA, Washington, August 20 / Trend N. Bogdanova /
The Department of State has made it clear that the U.S is willing to continue helping Georgia with its defensive requirements, and has reaffirmed its commitment to continue to work closely with the Georgian government, Georgian ambassador to the US, Batu Kutelia said.
"Recently, the Department of State made clear U.S willingness to continue to help Georgia with its defensive requirements, and reaffirmed its commitment to continue to work closely with the Georgian government going forward," Kutelia told Trend .
He said that although the technical standards are only the part of the larger commitment, it means for as not only higher capabilities, but responsibilities.
"We appreciate great support of our friends to achieve these goals," he said.
Kutelia said that Georgia continues to have excellent Military-to-Military relations with NATO allies and the issues of Georgia's fulfillment of the NATO standards are actively discussed within NATO Georgia Council.
Georgia is on a path towards NATO membership and this means that Georgia should comply with NATO standards, including armament standards, Georgian Ambassador Kutelia said.
The NATO countries' position on the Ukraine and Georgia joining the alliance has not changed for the last few months. The alliance's standards remain the same but these countries do not yet correspond to these standards, NATO official representative James Appathurai said.
NATO member countries judged Tbilisi as not ready to receive the status of candidate for alliance membership at a meeting in Brussels on December 2-3, 2008, in which NATO foreign ministers participated. They postponed the submission of a plan of action on NATO membership for an indefinite period. The first Georgian bids for a plan of action for alliance membership were rejected at a NATO summit in Bucharest in April 2008. It was stated that Georgia will be a member of the alliance in the future.