German Chancellor Angela Merkal and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. (Photo published on Facebook.)
TBILISI, DFWatch–German Chancellor Angela Merkel says NATO will not offer Georgia a Membership Action Plan (MAP) at the upcoming summit in Wales in September.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili on Monday met Merkel during a visit to Germany.
At a joint press conference after the meeting, Merkel said she thinks giving a MAP to Georgia won’t be a topic at the summit. There are many other ways of expressing that Georgia is a good partner and that NATO sees the progress it has made than offering the country a MAP, she said.
A MAP is a plan of progressive steps a country must make that eventually ends in full NATO membership.
Merkel also said she doesn’t think not offering Georgia a MAP can be a ‘green light’ for Russia for further aggression.
The Chancellor underlined that Germany is pleased that Georgia is on the way to getting closer to the EU and is mending relations with Russia.
She said, during the meeting she and PM Gharibashvili discussed bilateral meetings and ways of developing economic relations between the two states.
Gharibashvili said Georgia is supported by Merkel in the process of signing an Association Agreement with the EU, which will help Georgia to get into the European family and become a full member. Georgia will sign the treaty on June 27.
Monday’s meeting was also attended by Georgian Vice Speaker of Parliament Manana Kobakhidze, Minister of Foreign Affairs Maia Panjikidze, Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, and State Minister for European and Euro Atlantic Integration Alex Petriashvili.
Gharibashvili came to Germany by invitation of Merkel. As his delegation arrived in the yard of the Chancellery, there was a welcoming ceremony with renditions of the national anthems of Georgia and Germany and the parties welcomed the members of the two countries’ governments.
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