NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges James Appathurai has met with Georgia’s Parliamentary Defense and Security Committee to discuss cyber and energy security.
In a press briefing after the closed meeting today, the NATO official said the Alliance has decided to do more for Georgia and other partners in Europe, as Russia’s war against Ukraine “fundamentally changed the security map” on the continent for the “long-term.”
“Cyber-attacks have been part of Russia’s attack on Ukraine before military hostilities started and throughout military hostilities,” he noted, adding it has become crucial for Georgia and every NATO country “to beef up their cybersecurity.”
The NATO official said the Alliance has certain ideas for the country to bolster its security in the said regard, as well as in the context of hybrid attacks and coordinated disinformation.
As for energy security, NATO’s Appathurai stressed that Georgia’s role in supply to Europe “has only become more important” as European countries have cut off a delivery from Russia.
In this context, he highlighted the importance of cooperating with Georgia to better secure its energy infrastructure against cyber or physical attacks.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary General said he expects that by the time of the Madrid Summit in June NATO will have “very concrete ideas in place” to help Georgia.
The official added he also expects Allied Governments to reiterate at the Madrid Summit that NATO’s door remains open to Georgia.
But the Allied states also wish to see continued reforms and a “less polarized political environment here, seeing government and opposition work together, to see decisions take across the political divide,” he asserted.
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