Georgia Proceeding Toward Full NATO Membership: Delegation

Tbilisi: Georgia fully uses the tools that create a basis for the country's accession into NATO. According to the Office of the Georgian State Minister for European Integration, that was said by the North Atlantic Alliance's representatives in Tbilisi.

During a meeting with Georgian non-governmental organizations, experts and students of the Tbilisi State University, the ambassadors of Estonia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic to NATO, as well as the U.S. deputy ambassador [to NATO], considered all urgent issues in relations between Georgia and NATO in the context of upcoming Lisbon summit of NATO.

"It was stressed at the meeting that Georgia fully uses the tools that create a solid basis for the Alliance to fulfill the Bucharest Summit decision on Georgia's accession into NATO," the Office said.

NATO's ambassadors presented a new draft for the Partnership for Peace Trust Fund programme, which envisages assistance to Georgia in the elimination of post-war remnants of highly explosive substances and medical rehabilitation, in the Alliance's allied office in Tbilisi.

The NATO delegation is in Georgia from Oct. 18. The Alliance's representatives are holding lectures in educational institutions of Georgia. Meetings are scheduled at a high level, particularly with the Parliament Speaker and government members.

http://en.trend.az/news/politics/1770421.html

Georgia Proceeding Toward Full NATO Membership: Delegation

Tbilisi: Georgia fully uses the tools that create a basis for the country's accession into NATO. According to the Office of the Georgian State Minister for European Integration, that was said by the North Atlantic Alliance's representatives in Tbilisi.

During a meeting with Georgian non-governmental organizations, experts and students of the Tbilisi State University, the ambassadors of Estonia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic to NATO, as well as the U.S. deputy ambassador [to NATO], considered all urgent issues in relations between Georgia and NATO in the context of upcoming Lisbon summit of NATO.

"It was stressed at the meeting that Georgia fully uses the tools that create a solid basis for the Alliance to fulfill the Bucharest Summit decision on Georgia's accession into NATO," the Office said.

NATO's ambassadors presented a new draft for the Partnership for Peace Trust Fund programme, which envisages assistance to Georgia in the elimination of post-war remnants of highly explosive substances and medical rehabilitation, in the Alliance's allied office in Tbilisi.

The NATO delegation is in Georgia from Oct. 18. The Alliance's representatives are holding lectures in educational institutions of Georgia. Meetings are scheduled at a high level, particularly with the Parliament Speaker and government members.

http://en.trend.az/news/politics/1770421.html

Delegation of NATO Parliamentary Assembly to visit Serbia

BELGRADE: The delegation of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly will pay a two-day visit to Belgrade in order to get acquainted with the priorities of Serbia's internal policy, particularly in the area of defense and security.

According to the Serbian parliament's announcement, during their visit, the delegation will discuss the relations with the NATO and the EU, the situation in Kosovo-Metohija and the development of the situation in the Western Balkan region.

The delegation will be headed by Committee Vice-Chairman Vincenzo Bianco.

After the visit, the Committee will prepare the final version of the report on 'The Western Balkans - 15 years after Dayton: Achievements and Outlooks.'

The report will be considered and adopted at the Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, in the Polish capital Warsaw from November 12-16.

Serbian parliament speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic will welcome the NATO delegation, after which a meeting will be held with the representatives of four Serbian parliament committees: Foreign Affairs Committee, European Integrations Committee, Committee on Defense and Security and Committee on Kosovo-Metohija.

http://bsanna-news.ukrinform.ua/newsitem.php?id=14477&lang=en

Merkel say NATO must keep nuclear defence

Berlin: Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday backed NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen's calls for NATO members to retain nuclear capacities as long as other countries had nuclear weapons. 

The chancellor's comments represented a shift in Germany's stance on disarmament, after pushing for a reduction of nuclear weapons in Europe. The previous argument was that a new missile shield would allow NATO members to cut their arsenals. 

'As long as there are nuclear weapons in the world, we need to have these capabilities, as NATO says,' Merkel told journalists after talks with Rasmussen in Berlin. Aims to reduce nuclear weapons needed to be based on the principle of reciprocity, the chancellor added. 

At a NATO meeting earlier this month, France and Germany were at odds over nuclear disarmament, as France insisted on keeping its own nuclear weapons and rejected any foreign intervention in its policy. 

At the time, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said that arms control and disarmament must be 'the trademarks of our political alliance.' Germany does not own any nuclear weapons. 

Rasmussen, who has backed the French position, expressed confidence on Friday that NATO members would succeed in agreeing to a new security concept at next month's summit in Lisbon. 

'I believe that it will include missile defence for Europe and I am quite confident that we will strike the right balance in the strategic concept,' Rasmussen said. 

The leaders welcomed the fact that Russia would be present at the Lisbon summit, even if the country has not agreed to join NATO's missile defence structure. 

'The openness of the country towards discussions over the missile defence system (is) a good signal,' Merkel said. 
....
The leaders also discussed NATO's operation in Afghanistan.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1593363.php/Merkel-shifts-stance-to-say-NATO-must-keep-nuclear-defence