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Deputy PM: Georgia may join NATO despite separatist territories

29 March 2011 [13:40] - TODAY.AZ
Georgia may be admitted to NATO despite the separatist territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgian Deputy Prime Minister Giorgi Baramidze said on Tuesday.

"There is a precedent, when Germany, which was 40% occupied by the former Soviet Union, became a member of NATO, and this precedent creates favorable conditions for Georgia," State Minister for European Integration Baramidze said.

Georgia's accession to NATO has been discussed for a long time. NATO officials periodically make statements about their readiness to accept Georgia into the alliance, but in practice the sides have not moved forward in this matter.

Baramidze said Georgia will join NATO as soon as it meets its requirements.

There is an annual action program between Georgia and NATO, which the minister said is "an important mechanism" to join the alliance.

"NATO will decide on Georgia’s NATO membership as soon as we are ready," Baramidze said.

At the meeting, in addition to Georgia’s NATO membership, the sides discussed the liberation of the Georgian territories by peaceful means and prospects of reunifying the country.

Although NATO membership is an important task for Georgia, the primary goal is peaceful reunification, Baramidze said.

"Being under the NATO umbrella will ensure our country’s security, peaceful and stable development, as well as unification," he said, adding that he expects from Moscow a more constructive approach toward Tbilisi.


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URL: http://www.today.az/news/regions/83313.html

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