“Georgia will become a member of NATO, but I don’t know when,” US Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly said at a video press conference on facebook.

According to Kelly, the US is helping Georgia deter aggression with a train and equip program, as well as with providing and selling the weapons it needs to deter aggression.

“If somebody had asked me how long it would take Georgia to become independent in 1976 when I first came to Georgia, I would have looked at that person as if he were insane. But, in less than 20 years, Georgia did become independent. Let me say that Georgia will become a member of NATO, but I don’t know when.

The main thing for Georgia is to do its best to defend the sovereignty, to make progress towards reintegrating the territories back into Georgia, which are already part of Georgia, but what I mean is to extend the authority of Tbilisi to the regions and make sure that nobody ever commits aggression against the sovereign state of Georgia.

So, in part of that we can help you and are doing it. We are helping you deter aggression with a train and equip program, with providing and selling you the weapons you need to deter aggression. But the bigger part of it is up to you, and that is building a resilient and prosperous state,” Kelly stated.