What is more important for Georgia’s accession to NATO?

On January 4 Brussels was hosting the meeting of NATO-Georgia Commission with implementation of their partnership program on the agenda...

The Georgian delegation is led by Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze. Except for him Defense Minister David Sikharulidze and State Minister for Eurointegration Giorgi Baramidze went to the capital of Belgium.

According to Rosbalt alongside with discussions on implementation of the annual national program of Georgia's integration into NATO the parties will pay special attention to the deployment of Russian military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It is almost doubtless that the negotiators will call on Russia to withdraw from "conflict areas".

It would seem that now Georgia has other problems to think about - as the saying goes "mind its own business, and not of the others" i.e. to try for the sake of NATO membership to comply with necessary conditions starting with the reforms - democratic and economic ones. However according to the conclusions of international experts and the press - the state of affairs in both democracy and economy of Georgia is poor. The obvious priority of the recent months has been foreign policy. Here Tbilisi wants to be supported by the alliance, a powerful partner, in solving disputable issues that have accumulated since August. For instance it is important to deny Russia's charges of expansion of military presence in districts adjacent to Abkhazia and South Ossetia as well as to attract attention to periodically occurring incidents that Georgia always explains as acts of provocation on the part of Russia.

Nevertheless the officials are bravely making empty statements. So a few days ago David Sikharulidze in his interview with Interfax was saying: "Georgia is pursuing NATO integration policy and execution of reforms within the framework of the national program of partnership with the alliance".

NATO-Georgia Commission was established in September 2008. Commenting on this step towards Tbilisi NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer emphasized: "This commission is an important step on the way to extension of relations with Georgia. The North Atlantic Alliance is ready to offer assistance in solving the integration issue".

The assistance wasn't really effective. In December at the NATO Summit in Brussels the NATO Membership Action Plan was not awarded to Georgia as the country's domestic and foreign policies were not ready yet. Nevertheless de Hoop Scheffer promised to enhance assistance - within the commission - "that would provide for elaboration of an annual plan for implementation of necessary reforms in the republic".

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