NATO Steps into Russian–Georgian Relations
The NATO general secretary's representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, Robert Simmons, arrived yesterday in Georgia for the first meeting between Georgia and NATO after the intensification of the crisis in Russian–Georgian relations. The Georgian authorities demonstrated that they have not changed their minds about joining the alliance, and NATO remains prepared to accept them.
After a meeting with Minister for European Integration Georgy Baramidzhe and other Georgian cabinet ministers, Mr. Simmons declared that the goal of his visit is to seal an agreement with the Georgian side concerning an intensive dialog with NATO. As Mr. Baramidzhe clarified, Georgia is on track to conclude this dialog with NATO by 2007, after which the country will be ready to reach an accord with the alliance concerning an individual plan of action that will lead to NATO membership.
Georgian Deputy Defense Minister Mamuka Kudava told Kommersant, "Georgia is moving towards an active consultation with NATO, and the visit by Mr. Simmons is part of that. Within the framework of an intensive dialog, many measures are planned. In the near future, we will hold five consultations on different topics with the corresponding services within NATO. Next spring, NATO will produce a so-called evaluation document concerning the progress of reform in Georgia, and then we will have the basis for requesting to advance to a new stage of cooperation." Mr. Simmons noted that "the period of time that will be needed to complete the intensive dialog depends wholly on the Georgian side." According to Mr. Simmons, before Georgia can become a member of NATO, the country "will need to travel a difficult path," but the members of the alliance will give the country the necessary assistance: "The most important thing is that the Georgian government successfully continues the process of reform that has already been started." Yesterday Mr. Simmons took part in a session of the government commission charged with implementing a individualized plan of action for Georgia's partnership with NATO.
The decision made by the foreign ministers of the NATO countries on September 21 to move forward with the dialog between Tbilisi and Brussels preceded an unprecedented worsening of relations between Russia and Georgia. Both sides took the news as evidence that all bridges have been burned, opening the door to the harshest rhetoric yet.
During yesterday's talks, NATO's special representative expressed support for Tbilisi in its confrontation with Moscow. Mr. Simmons noted, "as the general secretary of NATO has already said, we are very concerned by the evolution of events, and we hope that both sides will travel the right path to a resolution of the problems that have arisen. After the release of the officers [Russian diplomats arrested in Georgia on suspicion of spying for the Russian government], there should be no steps taken that may damage neighborly relations between Georgia and Russia." He stressed that the countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of the two countries.
Behind closed doors the topic of cooperation with Russia, among other subjects, was discussed by Mr. Simmons, Georgian Foreign Affairs Minister Gela Bejuashvili, Interior Affairs Minister Vano Merabishvili, speaker of the parliament Nino Burjanadze, and Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli.
Vladimir Novikov (Tbilisi), Maxim Zagoretsky
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 11, 2006
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