Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has stated that the government should prepare the country for membership in NATO and the EU and as soon as soon as the decision about the membership of Georgia is mature, Georgia should join the alliance and the EU.
The PM made the statement in response to a question of the Financial Times’ Chief US Commentator Edward Luce in Tbilisi at a conference organised by the McCain Institute and the Georgian Economic Policy Development Centre.
Luce asked whether German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s recent visit in Georgia confirmed Germany’s support for Georgia’s membership in NATO and the EU.
Germany supports Georgia’s intentions in regards to the EU and NATO. Our membership in the EU and NATO is dependent on the geopolitical situation and the status quo. We [the Georgian government] should prepare the country and its democratic institutions for membership,” Bakhtadze said and stated that Georgia also required economic transformation as about 20 per cent of the Georgian population lives in poverty.