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RIA Novosti, Russia
March 04, 2005
AFGHAN TRANSIT TO SPEED UP GEORGIA'S ACCESSION TO NATO
TBILISI, February 4 (RIA Novosti) - Georgia believes that the
agreement on granting NATO a corridor for the transit of military
cargoes and personnel to Afghanistan via Georgia has brought the
republic closer to NATO membership.
"Everyone knows that Georgia wants to join NATO, and I think this
agreement is a major step towards this goal.
It will help Georgia to speed up its Euro-Atlantic integration," said
Nikolai Rurua, deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee on
defense and security.
Military expert Koba Liklikadze claims that NATO will soon sign
similar agreements with Azerbaijan and possibly with Armenia and
Central Asian states,
"NATO has signed such agreement with Tajikistan; so, Georgia was not
the first here," Mr. Liklikadze said.
Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili, who signed the
agreement with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in
Brussels on March 2, refused to make far-reaching forecasts. "Our
relations with NATO is not a one-way road," she told the Georgian
television company Imedi after signing the agreement in Brussels. "We
are ready to contribute to cooperation with the bloc when NATO needs
us."
According to the Defense Ministry of Georgia, the infrastructure of
the main air force base in Marneuli was geared to NATO standards and
is ready to accept bloc's forces involved in the Afghan operation.
The Turkish government spent $85 million on the technical
modernization of Marneuli airfield.
The base has modern military hardware that ensures the fulfillment of
combat tasks by any type of aircraft in night- and daytime
conditions. The infrastructure of the modernized airfield includes a
3km strip with modern lighting equipment (its assembly cost $2.4
million), a modern command station, a warning system, an airfield
security system, and other equipment.
March 04, 2005
AFGHAN TRANSIT TO SPEED UP GEORGIA'S ACCESSION TO NATO
TBILISI, February 4 (RIA Novosti) - Georgia believes that the
agreement on granting NATO a corridor for the transit of military
cargoes and personnel to Afghanistan via Georgia has brought the
republic closer to NATO membership.
"Everyone knows that Georgia wants to join NATO, and I think this
agreement is a major step towards this goal.
It will help Georgia to speed up its Euro-Atlantic integration," said
Nikolai Rurua, deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee on
defense and security.
Military expert Koba Liklikadze claims that NATO will soon sign
similar agreements with Azerbaijan and possibly with Armenia and
Central Asian states,
"NATO has signed such agreement with Tajikistan; so, Georgia was not
the first here," Mr. Liklikadze said.
Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili, who signed the
agreement with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in
Brussels on March 2, refused to make far-reaching forecasts. "Our
relations with NATO is not a one-way road," she told the Georgian
television company Imedi after signing the agreement in Brussels. "We
are ready to contribute to cooperation with the bloc when NATO needs
us."
According to the Defense Ministry of Georgia, the infrastructure of
the main air force base in Marneuli was geared to NATO standards and
is ready to accept bloc's forces involved in the Afghan operation.
The Turkish government spent $85 million on the technical
modernization of Marneuli airfield.
The base has modern military hardware that ensures the fulfillment of
combat tasks by any type of aircraft in night- and daytime
conditions. The infrastructure of the modernized airfield includes a
3km strip with modern lighting equipment (its assembly cost $2.4
million), a modern command station, a warning system, an airfield
security system, and other equipment.