Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili met with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Wednesday, the last day of his first official visit to Brussels.

"I have had a very positive and very constructive meeting with the prime minister this morning," Rasmussen said at a joint press conference after the meeting. "Georgia is a close and ideological partner for NATO. The country has recently doubled its contribution to Afghanistan and aspires to join the alliance. I welcome the acknowledgment of the fact that the Georgian government remains committed to this aspiration."

Rasmussen welcomed the free and transparent parliamentary elections held in Georgia on October 1 and called on the Georgian prime minister and the president to cooperate.

The parliamentary election in Georgia, which was won by Ivanishvili's opposition coalition, was followed by the formation of a new cabinet.

The NATO secretary general called on all Georgian parties to maintain and strengthen the democratic process with respect for the rule of law, the constitution as well as democratic standards.

"The real test of democracy is the skill of forces with different political views to work together for the sake of the country," he said.

Rasmussen also stressed that he supports the provision of maximum transparency and fairness with regard to Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB), apparently referring to tax officers' reportedly entering the GPB to conduct an unscheduled inspection.

"I'll be concerned if these processes would be seen as politically motivated," Rasmussen said. "It is bad for the image of the country, even if it is not true. From this point of view, it's important that these processes be carried out under the rule of law, with full transparency and fairness. I informed the prime minister on this issue and he assured me that everything will be done exactly in this manner,"

Ivanishvili invited North Atlantic Council representatives to Georgia and expressed hope for further advancement of the country's integration into the alliance after his visit.

According to Ivanishvili, NATO officials regret the postponement of the NATO Military Committee representatives' visit to Georgia after the recent arrest of the Georgian armed forces chief of staff.

He said that the NATO secretary general "assured" him that the issue would be discussed in "the near future" and this visit would take place.

Ivanishvili also said he was looking forward to the NATO-Georgia commission meeting to be held on the level of foreign ministers in early December in Brussels.

The Georgian PM also stressed that NATO isn't only a military but also a political entity promising to do everything possible to strengthen the democratic institutions under the new government.

"We will do everything in order to develop truly democratic institutions," Ivanishvili said. "The problems that arose a few days ago, in my opinion, were due to the fact that the previous authorities were satisfied by facade statements instead of building truly democratic institutions, and there wasn't enough transparency in the society, including in military units. The new government will do everything to ensure that all our actions are clear to the international community and NATO. We will do everything to achieve the objectives and for Georgia to be a member of the alliance in the near future."

Former chief of staff Giorgi Kalandadze, as well as former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia and a former military commander, Zurab Shamatava, face charges of abuse of soldiers. A jail setence of five to eight years could be handed down.

Akhalaia was also charged with illegal suppression of freedoms, which envisions up to twelve years imprisonment.

All three detainees deny the charges.

Furthermore, Rasmussen reportedly refused to establish a joint commission with Georgia to
scrutinize the events that recently took place in the country. Both sides expressed regret in connection with the events.

Ivanishvili said that regarding the latest arrests, he offered the NATO secretary-general to participate in the process to "make everything transparent and understandable to all", but Rasmussen did not deem it necessary.

"I really appreciate the PM`s commitment to fundamental principles, but let me assure you that we don't need a new mechanism, new institutions; we have the NATO-Georgia Commission, and I have a special representative who is in regular dialogue with the Georgian authorities," the NATO chief said.

"Based on the prime minister's clear assurances, I do not see a need for new institutions to follow the development. I have confidence that the government will live up to these high principles," he added.

Speaking at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Prague, Rasmussen expressed concern about the politicization of the judicial process in Georgia.

"I support the elections in Georgia and the peaceful transfer of power, but I will not deny that I am very concerned about what is happening, especially the arrests of political opponents. It is unacceptable that trials were politically motivated," he said.