Tbilisi, DFWatch – Against the backdrop of tragic events going on in Ukraine, Georgian delegation left optimistic to Wales to take part in the NATO Summit on Sept. 4-5, while NATO states that it expects establishing new defense capacity building mission in Georgia.

Although NATO member states decided in June not to expand the alliance during Wales Summit that means not granting Georgia long desired Membership Action Plan (MAP), the organization likely to send strong signal both to its allies and Russia too. Namely, members of the Georgian government expect ‘certain package’ of NATO assistance, which may include setting up a NATO training center on Georgian soil.

On the eve of the Summit, NATO issued 5 priorities over its Wales gathering, which includes situation in Ukraine and Afghanistan, strengthening army, strengthening partnership and tackling new threats.

About Georgia it states in the paragraph dedicated to tackling new threats that ‘in Wales, we would like to agree on new defense capacity building missions to other parts of the world, for example Georgia or the Middle East.’

Before leaving to UK, members of the government shared their expectations with journalists. Irakli Alasania, Minister of Defense, said that according to the information available to him, NATO plans to take certain steps to strengthen Georgia’s defense capability.

Maia Panjikidze, Minister of Foreign Affairs, says Georgia has ‘great expectation’ about the summit. More specifically, Georgia awaits ‘certain package’ and also ‘serious message about getting closer to NATO’, she said.

Alexi Petriashvili, State Minister on European and Euro Atlantic Integration, assumes that a package, which NATO is to propose to Georgia, contains ‘important elements’ and the most important in it is setting up military training center, also NATO-led trainings in the country.

The Georgian delegation is headed by the President, Giorgi Margvelashvili, who has some scheduled meetings in London. He’s delivering a speech at the Royal Institute of International Affairs about Georgia and Europe’s security on the background of Ukraine crisis, also meets with Suma Chakrabarti, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Within frames of the Summit president will have bilateral meetings with leaders of different states and international organizations and meet with media.

Georgian delegation consists of Defense Minister, Foreign Minister, Minister for Euro and Euro Atlantic Integration, Secretary of the Security Council, Head of the Joint Stuff. President is head of the delegation.