Tbilisi Hails NATO’s Growing Presence in Eastern Europe, Black Sea Region

Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze welcomed NATO’s readiness to actively work towards implementation of the Warsaw Summit decisions and strengthen its presence in Eastern Europe and particularly in the Black Sea region.

Reacting to the meeting of the NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels on October 26-27, which discussed progress in strengthening NATO’s presence in the Black Sea region, FM Janelidze said:  “it is important that the Alliance has started to take specific steps to bolster security in the Black Sea region. It should be emphasized that Georgia participates in the NATO discussions regarding the Black Sea security in all relevant formats”. He noted that Tbilisi “is committed to continue its contributions to the security of the Euro-Atlantic area, and of the Black Sea region as its integral part.”

“We welcome that NATO will not only increase its presence and activities in the Black Sea region, but will also support the efforts of the littoral countries aimed at ensuring security and stability in the region,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a separate statement released on October 27.

Speaking at the press conference following the meeting of the NATO Defense Ministers on Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey and the United States have indicated their particular willingness to contribute to the alliance’s presence in the Black Sea region, "on land, at sea and in the air".  "Other Allies are also looking into how they can contribute,” Stoltenberg said.

NATO Secretary General has repeatedly brought up Russia`s activities in the Cauvasus among NATO`s concerns, mentioning, in particular KAVKAZ 2016 military excercises held in September alongside Russia`s deployment of Iskander missile systems in Kaliningrad. He also said, NATO has seen Russia "willing to use military force against neighbors:  Crimea, Ukraine – but also Georgia has also seen a threatening rhetoric from Russia. So, NATO has to respond”.

Stoltenberg added that NATO is strong “not because we want to provoke a conflict but it is because we want to prevent a conflict and the best way to do that is to stay strong, united and be firm in our response.”

Several opposition politicians, including the former Defense Minister Tinatin Khidasheli of the Republican Party and Helen Khoshtaria, MP candidate from the United National Movement (UNM) have critisized the absence of the Georgian officials at the NATO Defense Ministers` meeting on October 26-27. While Georgia is not a NATO member, some opposition politicians argued that the ministers should have travelled to Brussels and  to lobby the country`s interests on the sidelines of the meeting.

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