Dr. Khatuna Burkadze noted: “The Vilnius Summit demonstrated that the security of Ukraine is of great importance to the North Atlantic Alliance and its partners. NATO offered Ukraine a substantial package of expanded political and practical support. This package includes three important elements. The first component considers the development of a multi-year program to ensure full interoperability between the Ukrainian forces and the NATO forces.

The second element is related to the establishment of the NATO-Ukraine Council. The inaugural meeting of the Council was held on 12 July 2023. It is a new joint body where Allies and Ukraine sit as equal members to advance political dialogue, engagement and cooperation. It will provide for joint consultations and decision-making. The Council will also serve as a crisis consultation mechanism between the Alliance and Ukraine.

 
The third element includes decisions on Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. The Allies reaffirmed the commitment which was made at the 2008 Summit in Bucharest. According to this political promise, Ukraine will become a member of NATO. 15 years later, in Vilnius, member states of NATO recognized that Ukraine’s path to full Euro-Atlantic integration has moved beyond the need for the Membership Action Plan”.
 

Dr. Khatuna Burkadze underlined: “The NATO leaders reiterated their support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders. They emphasized again Georgia’s right to decide its future and foreign policy course free from outside interference. The Allies call on Russia to withdraw the forces it has stationed in Georgia, to reverse its recognition of the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia, to end the militarization of these regions and to cease the human rights violations including detentions of Georgian citizens. The Allies welcomed the progress made in implementing the enhanced Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, including Crisis Management, Cyber Security, Military Engineering, and Secure Communications. At the same time, the Vilnius Summit Communique highlighted that Georgia must make progress on reforms, including key democratic reforms, and make best use of the Annual National Program. It will advance Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations”.
 

“NATO’s next summit will be held in Washington, D.C., July 9-11, 2024, marking seventy-five years since the North Atlantic Alliance’s founding. The Washington Summit could be a significant step for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. We need to develop a roadmap to NATO membership without MAP by implementing important democratic reforms and enhancing strategic ties with partners,” – added Dr. Khatuna Burkadze. 
 

Read the interview here