Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with the Head of NATO Liaison Office in Georgia Rosaria Puglisi on Monday.

According to the government’s press service, the meeting focused on “the tremendous contribution of the NATO Liaison Office to the rapprochement between Georgia and NATO.”

The meeting emphasized that, despite the pandemic, the active cooperation between NATO and Georgia has been on the rise in 2021, especially toward the implementation of the updated Substantial NATO-Georgia Package.

“The conversation revolved around Georgia’s considerable progress toward Euro-Atlantic integration, also the country’s democratization and defense reforms. Accession to NATO is the key priority of Georgia’s foreign and security policies, Irakli Garibashvili emphasized, also singling out the upcoming 2022 NATO Summit as a good opportunity for recognizing Georgia’s progress.

Attention was paid to Black Sea security, the importance of the existing cooperation in this direction, and the region’s role in the architecture of Euro-Atlantic security.

The meeting pointed out Georgia’s active years-long participation in the NATO Mission in Afghanistan, with special emphasis on Georgia’s important role in the evacuation effort from Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister thanked Rosaria Puglisi for her effort toward strengthening NATO-Georgia cooperation and her support for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, and wished her success in her future endeavors,” the press statement read.