TBILISI, DFWatch – NATO’s Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says Georgia will become a member of the alliance sometime. There has been progress in the reforms and NATO will continue to support the country in that regard.

Fogh Rasmussen said this at a joint press conference with President Mikheil Saakashvili.

“We have reiterated that we want to see full respect for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within her internationally recognized borders,” he said, “we have reiterated what NATO decided already in 2008, at our summit in Bucharest, that Georgia will become a member of NATO.”

The Secretary General focused on Georgia’s contribution to the NATO-led ISAF mission in Afghanistan saying that Georgia is one of the major contributors.

“We appreciate your contribution and it’s a strong testament to your commitment to the Transatlantic Alliance and to international peace and security.”

After the Chicago summit, President Saakashvili told journalists that the next Chicago summit will be held in 2014 and ‘it will be very hard to explain why they don’t accept Georgia to NATO.’

He said he thinks it shows important progress that Georgia is reviewed together with three Balkan countries. The next summit will be a summit for NATO enlargement, and a consensus is being formed on this, he says.

“I think Georgia has real chances. I’ve never been this sure in this as I am now. If our progress continues, and I am sure it will, we will be in the best form for the summit, when it simply will be very hard to explain why they won’t accept Georgia into NATO.”

Fogh Rasmussen noted that Georgia has been the only country participating in all formats within the frames of the NATO Chicago summit, which is a testimony to the very special relationship between Georgia and NATO, he says.