Tbilisi, Georgia, Nov.17
By Nana Kirtzkhalia - Trend:
All the reforms conducted in Georgia under the leadership of Defence Minister Irakli Alasania deserve NATO's positive assessments, NATO Secretary General Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, James Appathurai said in Tbilisi after the meeting with Georgia's Defence Minister. Appathurai arrived in Tbilisi on the occasion of the president's inauguration.
"We have just completed the annual assessment of the national program, which got a positive evaluation. We also discussed the issues of future cooperation in Afghanistan. We are preparing for the support mission and as far as I know, Georgia will participate in it. Georgia also intends to join the NATO Response Force. Many issues of cooperation with Georgia are carried out successfully," he said.
Appathurai congratulated the Georgian people with holding exemplary presidential elections on Oct.27.
"I would like to congratulate Georgia and the Georgian people on the results. These elections were free, fair and democratic. This is what the member states of NATO expected from Georgia. I would like to congratulate Georgia with this result on behalf of them," he said.
Alasania in turn thanked Appathurai for arriving at the inauguration.
"This is a sign of great respect to our newly elected president and reaffirms that our relations with NATO are irreversible and we will become the alliance's member in the future," he said.
During the meeting the parties discussed the reforms in the sphere of defense, as well as the issues of future Georgian-NATO cooperation.
The parties also talked about Georgia's contribution to the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan (ISAF). According to Alasania, Georgia is ready to participate in the support mission in Afghanistan after 2014 and join the NATO Reaction Force.