Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

No factor will prevent Georgia's accession to NATO, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly president Hugh Bayley said at a press conference with Speaker of the Georgian Parliament David Usupashvili in Tbilisi on Monday.

"Georgia is raising questions regarding the date of its integration into NATO," Bayley said. "I do not have the exact answer. But on behalf of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, I certify that NATO's doors are open for Georgia. The accession to NATO depends on qualifications and I would like to say that Georgia meets many requirements. Georgia's participation in the NATO mission in Afghanistan is one of the most important items. We are very grateful to you for this."

In turn Usupashvili voiced his hope that the NATO workshop Rose Roth will be an important catalyst in Georgia's integration into NATO.

Recall that the 83rd Rose Roth Seminar organized with the support of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly started in Tbilisi on Monday. The NATO seminar focused on the Georgian-Russian relations, integration of the South Caucasus countries into Euro-Atlantic entities, as well as a program of the outlined reforms and regional issues in Georgia.

"This workshop is one of the tools used to intensify cooperation with NATO members and partners," Usupashvili said. "Official government and non-governmental organizations alike had the opportunity to discuss the most important and urgent issues."

According to Usupashvili the three-day workshop in Tbilisi is dedicated to the South Caucasus, regional geopolitics, the process of integration into NATO, as well as internal challenges of each country.

"This workshop will be an important step in Georgia's integration into NATO," he stressed.

During the speech on the first day of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's Rose Roth the Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili reiterated the need of maximum involvement of international community and targeted support with consideration that the "South Caucasian region under the risk of conflict".

Accession to NATO is one of the top foreign policy priorities of Georgia. Soon after the declaration of independence, Georgia joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. Georgia's bilateral relations with NATO were established in 1994 when the country joined the Partnership for Peace program (PfP). At the informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in 2006 it was decided to launch Intensified Dialogue on Membership Issues with the South Caucasus republic.

Georgia as a significant contributor to Euro-Atlantic security is closely involved in NATO-led operations and its contribution to the NATO-led ISAF operation in Afghanistan is of significant importance. Nowadays, Georgia is the second largest troop contributor to Afghanistan among the non-NATO states.