Georgian Officials Respond to Lavrov’s Statement

Despite Russia’s resistance Georgia will anyway join NATO, the Georgian top officials said on April 9 in a response to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement that Moscow would spare no efforts to prevent Georgia’s and Ukraine’s membership in the alliance.

“I would advise my Russian colleagues to read the final communiqué of the Bucharest summit with more attention. The issue that Georgia and Ukraine will become NATO members has already been decided,” Davit Bakradze, the Georgian foreign minister, said. “Whatever the Russian Foreign Minister will say, fortunately, he has no authority to change an open commitment voiced in the NATO final communiqué. But in itself, such an attitude and terminology is extremely alarming. I think, this is not only Georgia’s and Ukraine’s problem. This is NATO’s problem as well, because during its entire history, NATO as the alliance of democratic states has never endured a direct instruction and direct blackmail from any other states.”

“Mr. Lavrov has said nothing new. He simply confirmed once again that Russia does not want Georgia and Ukraine to join the alliance,” Nino Burjanadze, the Parliamentary Chairperson, said. “I am sure that we will become NATO members. This has been confirmed at the Bucharest summit. Integration into NATO is the will of the Georgian people and it will be realized.”

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