Saakashvili Comments on NATO, U.S. Bases
President Saakashvili said in an interview with Kommersant on February 27 that although Georgia plans to join NATO, Tbilisi will not deploy military bases from this alliance on its territory. He also labelled reports that the U.S. is probing into the possible use of Georgia’s military bases in the event of a military conflict with Iran as merely “speculations.”
When asked whether Georgia will deploy NATO bases on its territory, Saakashvili resolutely responded: “No.”
“But NATO membership is a matter of political choice,” Saakashvili added.
He also said that use of Georgian military bases by the U.S. in the event of a confrontation with Iran is not even being considered.
“These are just speculations today. Americans are not even asking for any base from us… They say openly that they are not going to set up military bases in Georgia and in this situation Georgia, of course, is not inviting any military bases here,” Saakashvili said.