A more detailed action plan will likely be discussed at the NATO summit scheduled for September in the UK, where the countries-participants of the military alliance will discuss the possibility of improving the situation and extending influence over territories adjacent to Russia.
Georgia is one of the countries which had always had historically folded companionship with Russia. Since Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili came to power, Georgia has been trying to balance between the two sides, and makes no secret that it keeps the focus on steady contact with both Europe and the United States. However, the country's new authorities firmly assure Moscow that they are intent on maintaining friendly ties with Russia, that they want to develop trade and economic relations, as well as cultural and tourist.
At this point, even taking political ambitions of NATO into account, it is not clear how Tbilisi would react to further development of the situation, when Georgia is supposed to play a more active role in the affairs of Western organizations. It is likely that all the talk about Americans financing the Georgian democracy is just a clever way to keep the loyal electorate.
- In the past, NATO already tried to provide Georgia an action plan for membership in the alliance, but for various reasons nothing came out of it at that time. After the conflict in South Ossetia, which happened a few months later, the issue was postponed indefinitely.
The Crimea is holding a referendum March 16, seeking to join the peninsula with Russia.
Russia believes that the referendum complies with international law and promises to consider the appeal of the Crimea in the case of a positive response from citizens participating in the referendum.
Voice of Russia, Kommersant.ru
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_12/US-Congress-to-support-Georgias-accession-to-NATO-if-Crimea-joins-Russia-6244/
12/3/14
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Related:
EU-Georgia: Financial support to strengthen democratic institutions. -European Commission, Press release
UE-Géorgie-Moldavie: accords d'association signés d'ici l'automne. -Rompuy
Kerry also renewed US demands that Moscow withdraw troops from disputed enclaves in another former Soviet republic, Georgia and urged Georgia to further integrate with Europe and NATO.
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US Congress Pushes for Expelling Russia From G8 and Imposing Sanctions...
ReplyDeleteThe US House of Representatives adopted a non-binding resolution in a 402-7 vote on Tuesday to denounce Russia’s actions in Ukraine and urge the White House to exclude Russia from the G8 and to impose sanctions on the country.
The lawmakers who voted for the resolution also called for sending OSCE observers to Crimea and other Ukrainian regions and urged NATO to suspend military cooperation with Russia, including the supply of military equipment.
The resolution urges the administration of US President Barack Obama to “work with our European allies and other countries to impose visa, financial, trade and other sanctions on senior Russian Federation officials, majority state-owned banks and commercial organizations, and other state agencies, as appropriate.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that potential sanctions over Ukraine would be a double-edged sword due to the interdependence of global trade.
The House resolution also proposes giving economic assistance to the new Ukrainian authorities and easing Ukraine’s energy dependence on Russia.................http://en.ria.ru/world/20140312/188347928/US-Congress-Pushes-for-Expelling-Russia-From-G8-and-Imposing.html
12/3/14
Ukraine situation will not speed up Georgia's admission to NATO - Ivanishvili's ex-advisor...
ReplyDeleteThe negative developments in Ukraine are unlikely to speed up Georgia's accession to NATO, said Gia Khukhashvili, Director at the Georgian Development Research Institute.
"Of course, theoretically one can imagine that Crimea's annexation to Russia will push Western leaders towards a decision to include Georgia in the MAP (NATO Membership Action Plan) program, but this is a theory; in reality, the NATO doors have been open for Georgia for ten years now but these are some strange doors through which there is no way to enter," the former advisor of the now ex-prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said.
All this talk about granting Georgia the MAP program at this year's forthcoming NATO summit is "muscle-flexing," Khukhashvili said.
"Such claims are counter-propaganda against the Russian position with respect of Crimea. Besides, accelerating the process of Georgia's accession to NATO at this stage could really create additional problems for it, again on Russia's part," Khukhashvili said.
In light of the events in Ukraine, the Georgian leadership must act "very cautiously and pragmatically," he said....................http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_12/Ukraine-situation-will-not-speed-up-Georgias-admission-to-NATO-Ivanishvilis-ex-advisor-8272/
12/3/14