"Georgia
has everything it needs to continue democratic reform
as well as defense and security reform... and become a
NATO member," he said after a meeting with James
Appathurai, the NATO secretary general's special representative
for the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Appathurai
said the reform process in Georgia and NATO-Georgia relations
"are going in right direction" and both sides
now "need to reinforce the success."
He
said Georgia "is working very hard" to meet
the membership standards but "there is more to do."
He
reiterated NATO's support for Georgia's territorial integrity.
"NATO
will not compromise when it comes to territorial integrity
of this country; there will be no recognition of Abkhazia
and South Ossetia as independent by the NATO allies. These
are very firm principles on which our relationship is
based," Appathurai said.
Georgia's
reform targets to meet NATO standards, as defined in the
Annual National Program, are reviewed annually by the
alliance.
