Georgian PM, NATO head end up meeting in Brussels, discuss Russia's aggression against Ukraine
PM Garibashvili and NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg met in Brussels
On May 18, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at his residence in Brussels.
However, this meeting was preceded by a bit of confusion.
The meeting was originally scheduled for May 18, but in the morning information appeared on the NATO website about the cancellation of the meeting. The note did not provide a reason for the cancellation.
Representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream party, as well as state media, said that the meetings were canceled due to the state of health of the Secretary General (Stoltenberg was indeed diagnosed with coronavirus in an asymptomatic form on May 10 and according to European protocols, the isolation period expired on May 15- JAMnews).
In parallel with the statements of the representatives of the Georgian Dream about Stoltenberg’s illness, a photo of him with the ambassadors of Finland and Sweden, whom he earlier today, appeared on the NATO website.
Soon, the NATO website changed the status of the Stoltenberg – Garibashvili meeting from “cancelled” to “scheduled”.
At the end of the day, the meeting did take place.
The NATO website released photos of the meeting:
Stoltenberg tweeted that during the meeting “Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine” was discussed.
Met Prime Minister @GharibashviliGe of #Georgia, NATO’s close partner. We addressed #Russia’s illegal war in #Ukraine. #NATO fully supports every nation’s sovereignty, territorial integrity & the right to choose its own path, including Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. pic.twitter.com/w7mHSjIVyM
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) May 18, 2022
“NATO fully supports the sovereignty, territorial integrity and the right of each country to choose its own path, including Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations”.
According to the government’s statement, the meeting reiterated Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, which is the main priority of the country’s foreign and security policy, and reaffirmed Georgia’s role as a strong and reliable partner of the Alliance.
“At the meeting, the parties expressed the hope that Georgia’s progress and aspirations will be adequately reflected in post-union decisions, both in terms of political support for the country’s aspirations and strengthening its practical capabilities”, the Georgian government said in a statement.
The government also emphasized that the parties considered issues and expectations in preparation for the NATO summit in Madrid. According to the statement, the conversation focused on the security situation in the region and the war in Ukraine, in connection with which the Prime Minister reaffirmed the solidarity of Georgian people with Ukraine.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili is visiting Brussels this week to discuss issues related to Georgia’s European integration.
