The main thing is to speed up our membership in NATO and to do it in accordance with our national interests, – Georgia’s Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze made this statement after the visit to US, in an interview with Voice of America.

The journalist’s question referred to the article published by the Heritage Foundation, where the author of the publication Luke Coffey states that Georgia’s NATO membership is in the interests of the United States and discusses condition, according to which NATO’s fifth article on collective defense will not apply to occupied territories until conflicts peacefully resolution.

According to Irakli Kobakhidze, all issues can become the subject of discussion, but the main thing is that Georgia should not pay political price for the detriment of national interests, including the interest in restoration of territorial integrity.

“Our task is to speed up our membership in NATO. Each step in this direction will be taken on the basis of partnership and consultation with our strategic partners and in accordance with our strategic national interests. We will have to hold discussion with our partners. We have national priorities and these priorities will be reflected in our decisions.

All issues can become subject of discussions. Our main national priority is to restore territorial integrity. This priority will not be reviewed in any case. As for stipulating term beforehand, it can become a subject of discussion. The main thing is to speed up our membership in NATO and do it in accordance with our national interests.

The main thing is not to pay political price, which will harm our national interests. If our national interests are not damaged, including the interest of restoring territorial integrity, we are ready to discuss any initiative that would accelerate our membership in NATO”, – said Irakli Kobakhidze.

To the journalist’s question – 10 years after the Bucharest summit, at what stage Georgia is in relations with NATO, the Speaker of the parliament said that Georgia has very close cooperation with NATO over the past 10 years. According to him, Georgia is carrying out reforms to speed up the process of NATO membership.