NATO Secretary General and Georgian Prime Minister discuss strengthening ties

The Secretary General emphasised that Georgia is a close partner and reiterated NATO's full support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "NATO continues to call on Russia to reverse the recognition of Georgian territories as independent states", Mr Stoltenberg said. "Any threats by Russia to annex Georgia's occupied regions are unacceptable."

Ahead of a meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission which discussed NATO's partnership with Georgia and regional security, the Secretary General commended Georgia for hosting thousands of Ukrainian refugees and providing crucial humanitarian and financial support to Ukraine.

NATO is stepping up its cooperation with Georgia in areas such as crisis management, cyber security, military engineering and secure communications. Mr Stoltenberg urged Georgia to continue and step up domestic reforms and uphold democratic values on its path toward full membership in the Euro-Atlantic family. "NATO will continue to stand by your side as you work toward fulfilling those aspirations", the Secretary General said.