RIGA - Georgia hopes to join NATO at the next summit of the alliance, and it has still not become its member only because of Russia's intrigues, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said.
"NATO is an important goal for Georgia. We hope that we will join this organization at the next NATO summit," Saakashvili told journalists following a meeting with Latvian President Andris Berzins in Riga on May 29.
Georgia views Latvia as a model, as it has joined both the European Union and NATO, Saakashvili said.
"Latvia has supported and will support Georgia on its way to the European Union and will continue its support helping it join NATO," Berzins said.
Saakashvili said in response, "The events in Georgia should be viewed not as ones relating to a particular territory but also to the desire to overthrow its government. The Chicago summit was an opportunity and a risk at the same time. Georgia has a better rating now [compared to] the Balkan countries, and therefore we believe we have the chance to join NATO."
Georgia’s desire to join the alliance has so far been obstructed by Russia, Saakashvili said. "On the one hand, we have faced a very difficult geopolitical situation and also an occupation, and on the other, this is a country where important reforms are being carried out, and we are a very stable place where, according to international indexes, investments can be made," he said.
"The level of corruption is among the lowest in Europe, it is close to zero – the situation is even better than in some Scandinavian countries," Saakashvili said.
