Georgian FM says NATO-Georgia relationship ‘very close’, key to long-term strategic goals

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on Tuesday said that Georgia, located at a strategic crossroads, practices multivector diplomacy out of necessity, balancing principles and pragmatism while contributing to Europe’s connectivity, energy security, and economic resilience.

Speaking at the Allies in Ankara event held alongside the NATO summit, Botchorishvili thanked the organisers for inviting Georgia to the discussion and noted that the NATO summit was an important event that would influence Euro-Atlantic security, including the security environment in the Black Sea region.

“First of all, I would like to start by expressing my appreciation to the organisers for inviting allies in Ankara alongside the NATO summit, which is an important event, and we follow closely the discussions and what will be the outcome of this summit, because it will definitely impact Euro-Atlantic security, and Black Sea region is definitely part of that, and we are following these discussions very closely”, Botchorishvili said.

She noted that although Georgia was not a NATO member and lacks a security umbrella, its partnership with the Alliance has developed closely over many years.

“Well, Georgia is not part of NATO, we are not member states of NATO. We don't have that security umbrella over our head. But the relationship and partnership between NATO and Georgia has been developing very closely, and we have been working together for many years. NATO and its member states have contributed to developing Georgia's defence capabilities, but at the same time, it is important to mention that Georgia has always contributed heavily to the transatlantic agenda and NATO missions and operations. Only the Afghanistan mission is worth mentioning what was the contribution of Georgia as a non-NATO member state, as it was the largest troop contributor to the mission. So that shows that the relationship between NATO and Georgia is very close, and we look at that development and development of our cooperation as essential for our future and long-term strategic goals”, she noted.

The Foreign Minister emphasised that Georgia’s geographical position places it at the intersection of different interests and ambitions, creating both challenges and opportunities.

“Well, Georgia's geographical location in this geopolitical context is very important, I would say. So, we are literally on the crossroads, crossroads of different interests, different ideas, and different ambitions. And definitely that creates challenges at the same time, gives opportunities as well. And we have to look at that from both perspectives”, the FM said.

She stressed that maintaining peace and stability has long been the main priority of Georgia’s foreign and domestic policy, especially given the continued occupation of part of the country’s territory by Russia.

“For Georgia, for a long time, keeping peace and stability has been its foreign and domestic policy priority. Just to remind, 20% of Georgia's territory remains under Russian occupation, and that definitely creates a huge security challenge for, not only for Georgia, but for the entire region. And definitely that remains the number one challenge and priority in terms of security for our country and the whole region. But Georgia's answer to that, Georgia's answer to occupation, to conflict, is very clear. And that answer is that we don't see a military solution as a solution, and the military way is not the solution for conflict. And we do see that finding peaceful resolution of the conflict and keeping stability and focusing on development would be the best answer to conflict resolution”, she stressed.

“For that, again, for Georgia's foreign and domestic policy, keeping peace in the country and keeping stability is number one priority. That is the policy we are pursuing, and that defines our priorities. And region, looking at the geopolitical context, it is clear that region is gaining different importance, and increasingly the South Caucasus, Black Sea region is becoming very important”, she continued.

Botchorishvili highlighted the growing strategic importance of the South Caucasus and Black Sea regions amid global geopolitical changes, including the war in Ukraine and developments in the Middle East.

“Looking at the Ukraine-Russia war and looking at the developments in the Middle East, that is very clear. And perspective to Black Sea region, to the South Caucasus, to Georgia, definitely is changing. And here we have excellent examples and experience of regional cooperation, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan. Over decades, we have developed our excellent cooperation, strategic partnership that has different meanings today from a security perspective as well, because successful projects that we have implemented over the decades, energy projects or transport corridors, have different meanings today”, Botchorishvili said.

“And this is exactly what also contributes to the security environment, and that is definitely. We cannot look at security and we cannot discuss security only from the perspective of military capabilities. We have to look at different dimensions of security, and from that perspective, Georgia and then regional cooperation that we offer together with our partners, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and others in the region, definitely is extremely important from today's perspective”, she continued.

Speaking about connectivity, the Minister said that the Middle Corridor was no longer only a transport route but has become a broader geopolitical and geoeconomic space.

“Again, looking at the geopolitical context, the necessity of new trade routes and reliable trade routes and economy routes is definitely a necessity from today's perspective. And here we talk a lot about development of the Middle Corridor, and the Middle Corridor is not merely a transport corridor. Definitely, that is exactly the geopolitical or geoeconomic space”, Botchorishvili stressed.

She also addressed modern security challenges, including hybrid threats, disinformation, and foreign influence, emphasising the importance of sovereignty and strong institutions.

“One more thing that needs to be highlighted is stability, and keeping stability is something quite demanding today, because we are talking about hybrid threats, we are talking about disinformation or flow of information or misinformation era. And from that perspective as well, Georgia gives an excellent example how excessive external influence or deterrence of extensive external influence is important for keeping stability, and how it is important for keeping institutions strong, and that is definitely very important for any state for their stability. From that perspective, I would highlight the topic of sovereignty and the right of countries or ability of states to define their foreign and domestic policy, and to keep that free from extensive foreign influence. That is something very important, and I think that Georgia is a good example of that, how important it is in the modern situation”, she noted.

The Foreign Minister further stressed that Georgia’s economic growth and stability contribute not only to the country’s development but also to regional resilience.

“And again, peace, economic resilience, stability, that definitely also, again, we can be a good example if you manage to keep all that, if you manage to keep stability, peace, and sustainable economic reform agenda, then answer is very clear. If you look at the economic growth of Georgia, it is impressive in Europe. We have had around 9% economic growth for more than five years now. That is something that is important not only for Georgia, but from a regional perspective, it gives additional possibilities for development, for keeping the region resilient, and for future connectivity that can contribute to the security of the wider region as well”, Botchorishvili concluded.