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Visit of President Shevardnadze
During his three-day visit to Brussels, the President of Georgia, Mr
Eduard Shevardnadze, met with Lord Robertson on 18 March. Their discussions
mainly focused on the role of the Caucasus in the campaign against terrorism,
Georgia's partnership with NATO and, in particular, NATO's assistance in
helping Georgia modernise and reshape its armed forces.
In a joint press event, Lord Robertson stated that NATO was very
conscious of "Georgia's territorial integrity and the need to protect it"
in light of the problems in Abkhazia, in the north-west of the country.
Georgia, he continued, was one of the most crucial countries in the Southern
Caucasus, which through the modernisation of its armed forces would be
better able to contribute to combating terrorism. President Shevardnadze
added that partnership with NATO had already brought "very positive
tangible results" and that it was very important to pursue this
cooperation with NATO, especially in the field of defence reform.
Georgia engages in many cooperative activities with NATO, including
seminars, military exercises and projects such as the new computer
networking infrastructure that is being set by NATO's Scientific and
Environmental Division. This "Virtual Silk Highway" is being
developed for the Caucasus and Central Asia to provide Internet connections
for science and education communities in the region.
Additional information:
- Audio file of the press point by NATO Secretary General, Lord
Robertson and the President of Georgia, H. E. Mr. Eduard Shevardnadze .MP3/9.269Kb
(at this moment not available)
- High resolution
photos of the visit to NATO by the President of Georgia, Mr. Eduard
Shevardnadze (at this moment not available)
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