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Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili (right), expects NATO to commit to making Georgia a member through a Membership Action Plan in 2014. On the left, Switzerland’s Ambassador to Georgia, Guenther Baechler. (Official Photo.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The new government expects Georgia to receive a membership action plan (MAP) next year.

Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said this Tuesday at the 22. anniversary of the Georgian army.

The head of government has often had to defend himself against claims by President Mikheil Saakashvili and his allies that Georgia is now moving away from its western foreign policy course.

The PM said the foreign course is unchanged and everything must be done to make ‘very sharp’ steps to achieve a MAP; a concrete plan for how to become NATO member.

“Possibly we cannot receive more than that, but we’ve very strictly planned MAP. Next year when there will be next NATO assembly we should manage and take strong steps in this direction,” he explained.