Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

European integration is the keystone of Georgia's foreign policy, Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said at a meeting of Georgian diplomats abroad on September 2.

According to Ivanishvili, the authorities and the people are well aware that European and Euro-Atlantic integration is the only path which will allow forming true democracy in Georgia.

"Only this will strengthen our national security and democracy," the prime minister said.

Ivanishvili said that the success achieved in democratization last year gives him hope that the road to European and Euro-Atlantic integration will be open even wider for Georgia.

The prime minister also said NATO membership is one of the major objectives in ensuring the security of the country.

"Our country is contributing to the security of the international community. In this regard, Georgia's participation in the peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan should be noted. Our government is well aware of its responsibility in fulfilling this mission. The Georgian government pays due respect to the memory of our heroes who fell in Afghanistan. The government allocates unprecedented compensation to the bereaved families. We understand that the compensation does not make up for the loss, but this is an expression of our respect for them," Ivanishvili said.

According to Ivanishvili, a strategic partnership with the United States is essential to Georgia and his country cooperates with the U.S. under the conditions outlined in the Charter on Strategic Partnership.

"This partnership is based on common interests as well as on the achievement of common objectives in various areas," he said.

The prime minister believes that the heads of diplomatic missions of Georgia in the European Union countries will make every effort to initiate Association Agreement and its subsequent signing at the Vilnius summit due in November.

Touching on regional issues, Ivanishvili said it is necessary to deepen bilateral political and economic cooperation with the countries of the region, particularly Azerbaijan, Turkey and Armenia.

"Georgia has to become mutually beneficial space of political and economic cooperation and the implementation of business opportunities for its nearest neighbors," Ivanishvili said.

He said his first official visits were paid precisely to these countries and he was pleased to have established friendly relations with their political leaders.

"I urge the accredited ambassadors of Georgia to Azerbaijan, Turkey and Armenia to deepen and develop these friendly relations," he said.

According to Ivanishvili, Georgia has also started to improve its relations with Russia.

"As you know, pragmatic steps have been taken for positive development of our relations, particularly in the fields of economy, trade and culture...Unfortunately, despite our extensive efforts, Russia has again moved the barbed wire deep into the country, which is not an adequate response to the steps that our government has taken," Ivanishvili said.

Earlier, Georgia expressed concern over the installation of barbwire and trenches along the border with Abkhazia and Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, another rebel region, by the Russian side.

Georgia and Russia, its giant northern neighbor, have maintained no diplomatic relations since a brief war in 2008. Tbilisi broke off relations with Moscow in August 2008 when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over two rebel regions -- South Ossetia and Abkhazia -- and later recognized the regions. Georgia announced the two unrecognized republics as occupied territories in September 2008.