Georgian PM says NATO’s open door policy became policy of “drafty window”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday criticised NATO’s long-standing enlargement strategy, describing what was officially termed the open door policy as a “policy of a drafty window” that has left nations vulnerable.

In his interview with the Georgian Public Broadcaster, the Prime Minister used a metaphor famously coined by former President Eduard Shevardnadze to describe the precarious position of countries caught between Western aspirations and geopolitical realities.

“As for NATO, what was called the open door policy, in reality, it was the policy of a drafty window, as [the former Georgian President] Eduard Shevardnadze would say. Two countries were caught in this two-sided wind, three times. Once it was Georgia in 2008 and twice it was Ukraine. Today we see that the United States is thinking about revising this policy. Let's see how the processes will develop”, the PM said.

“This is not news, given that talk of halting NATO enlargement began shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine. This reflects what has been discussed for two or three years now. Here, too, we must look at the development of events pragmatically. Today, the perspective is very vague based on the statements made over these years; however, we must wait for the development of events calmly and with patience”, he concluded.