You're reading: Saakashvili: Georgia may enter NATO in 2014

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who took part in the NATO summit in Chicago, believes that Georgia is highly likely to become a full-fledged NATO member in 2014.

"The next summit is due to take place in 2014 and Georgia has very good chances of becoming a full-fledged member of NATO together with the three Balkans countries. I have never been so sure of that as I am now," Saakashvili told reporters in Chicago.Saakashvili said "it will be very difficult to explain why it [Georgia] is not being admitted to the Alliance" at the next summit, bearing in mind the progress made by Georgia.

"I think our ill-wisher – I will not name him – will do everything to destabilize Georgia before the next NATO summit, including during the elections and then will say that a country like Georgia can’t join NATO, like they did in 2008. However, the people of Georgia are already experienced and will not make the same mistake again," Saakashvili said."In this period, NATO is a very serious factor of Georgia’s security," he said.