“Days of NATO” invaded Georgia
In Georgia today launched the “Days of NATO”, which will last until may 1. This year many events will focus on informing the residents of Georgian regions on the prospects of cooperation with the Alliance. Foreign Minister Mikhail Janelidze expressed his confidence that, despite the “enemy propaganda”, “the vast majority of inhabitants of regions support the country’s accession to NATO”. At the same time in Brussels make it clear: the Alliance is waiting for all of Georgia as a whole, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
At the opening of the “days of NATO”, held today at Tbilisi city Assembly, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili called the entry into the Alliance “the bright choice of the Georgian people”.
“Towards this goal are working together all government agencies, including the Ministry of defense, the General staff of the armed forces and foreign Affairs,” — said the head of state. The main sign of a “responsible approach” to Georgia’s cooperation with NATO, the President believes “the active participation in international peacekeeping missions.”
Giorgi Margvelashvili called for intensified international dialogue “to develop a common security system in the Black sea” by the formula 28+2 (NATO members plus Georgia and Ukraine), focusing on the subversive role of the “main enemy” of the Euro-Atlantic community.
Without naming Russia, the President noted that the anti-NATO and Western values “is total the information and propaganda war”, which, in his opinion, “we must confront together”.
Foreign Minister Mikhail Dzhanelidze promised to take a personal part in passing for the 11th year events to inform the public “about the success of Georgia towards integration in NATO” to bridge the “growing anti-Western propaganda”. He expressed confidence that, despite the “enemy propaganda”, “the vast majority of inhabitants of regions support the country’s accession to NATO”.
On the eve of the “days of NATO” Deputy assistant Secretary General of NATO on new security challenges, Jamie Shea, in an interview with the Georgian media has criticized popular among some Georgian experts, the idea of neutrality as a guarantee to prevent “a new aggression from Russia”.
He also opposed the idea of joining NATO without Abkhazia and South Ossetia, while many Georgian experts believe it’s perfectly acceptable.
“This approach would help to solve the contradiction between the aspiration of Georgia towards integration in the Alliance and the reluctance of some European States to be at war with Russia over Abkhazia and South Ossetia”, — said “Kommersant” political scientist Georgy Nodia.
But Jamie Shea made clear that a partial application of the provisions of the fifth article of the NATO Charter (on collective defence) is impossible.
“I don’t think that can be the veto of Russia that certain parts of Georgia can’t be part of NATO, and others,” he said, stressing that “the West knows one to Georgia, and not much different Georgia”.
The NATO official also drew a parallel with Ukraine, “Then Russia will say that Ukraine can be a member of NATO and the Donbass or Crimea, Lugansk or not?!”.
Mr. Shea warned Georgians than it can end for them, the refusal to join NATO: “Russia annexed Ukraine when this country didn’t have the ambition to join the Alliance. So, in other words, if you say Russia, you don’t want to join NATO, that you remain neutral, you are still paying”.
Military expert Vakhtang Maisaia in an interview with “Kommersant” expressed doubt that Tbilisi will soon receive the action plan for NATO membership because “some European States remain opposed, not wanting to gnewt Moscow.”