NATO reaffirms its intention to strengthen relations with Georgia and the decision of 2008 Bucharest summit remains valid, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen declared at the New York meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. The latter refrained from any comments on the meeting.

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Former NATO Secretary General, back in 2008 assured in Bucharest summit that Georgia’s membership in NATO is just a matter of time. However, Georgia was not provided with a NATO membership Action plan. Rasmussen made it clear that NATO is expecting Georgia and Ukraine to join the organization only in case they meet all the necessary criteria. He also informed NATO and Saakashvili cooperate within the framework of Georgia-NATO Council. At that, Rasmussen pointed out that neither Georgia nor Ukraine is ready for full membership of the Alliance.