Georgians Discuss Lessons Learned From NATO HQ Visit (June 23, 2009)
A group of seven Georgians representing academia and several ministries, including Foreign Affairs, Interior, and Re-integration, traveled to Brussels and Warsaw, accompanied by Nino Gagua, from the U.S. Embassy's Public Affairs Section (PAS), to learn about steps that Georgia should take in the hopes of gaining NATO membership. On June 23, that group met with Ambassador Tefft and Public Affair Officer Cynthia Whittlesey to share what they had learned. They discussed how NATO officials in Brussels detailed important democratic, as well as military, developments necessary for admission to NATO. Particularly useful, the group recounted, was their time in Warsaw, listening to Polish officials describe their own road to NATO membership. All who participated felt that they benefited from first-hand accounts of what the path to NATO membership involved and were appreciative of the PAS-sponsored trip.