Azernews.Az

TBILISI – Georgian parliament said on Friday that NATO will open a Permanent Mission in Tbilisi this month.

The issue topped the agenda of the Georgian parliamentary committees’ joint meeting. Georgian MPs unanimously supported the establishment of NATO office.

The legal basis for mission opening was created by an agreement signed between NATO and Georgia earlier this month, which stipulated the establishment of "NATO communication office in Tbilisi".

According to the document, the NATO office and its staff are assigned to the privileges and immunities under the 1961Vienna Convention. They are exempt from criminal liability, taxes and customs duties.

Georgian officials say the agreement would allow NATO personnel to freely and promptly implement the commitments with regards to Georgia.

The Foreign Relations Committee chairman Akaki Minashvili said that the opening of the NATO Mission will contribute to the South Caucasus country’s further rapprochement with the military alliance.

"This is a further step in deepening of the Georgia’s integration into NATO," he said.

Minashvili added that the opening of a Permanent Mission will enhance relations between the NATO leadership and the Georgian government.

NATO is currently represented in the Georgia by a liaison officer, based in the country’s Defense Ministry.