Georgian political analysts differ in estimates of NATO office opened in Tbilisi

The opening of the NATO representative office in Tbilisi is a certain address to Russia and demonstration that Georgia is a NATO's partner, said Georgian political analyst Tornike Sharashenidze. Another political and military expert Irakli Sesiashvili is somewhat more restrained in his estimates. In his opinion, the NATO office will not guarantee the country's security and is no evidence of Georgia's integration into the Alliance.

Let us remind you that on October 1 Georgia was visited by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of the NATO, who opened, together with Georgian State Minister on Integration into European and Euro-Atlantic Structures Giorgi Baramidze, the NATO's official representative office in Georgia. The mission is located in the former building of US Embassy in Georgia.

"The opening of the NATO's office is a definite address to Russia and response to its policy in general. Russia is now opening its military bases, consistent only with its opinions, and in violation of the Medvedev-Sarkozy agreement. In response, the NATO shows that Georgia is equally an Alliance's partner and a candidate for accession to NATO membership," Tornike Sharashenidze, a political analyst, who until last year was the head of the NATO's information centre in Georgia told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to Mr Sharashenidze, the NATO's office in Georgia should prevent relapse of 2008 events, when the Alliance just had no time to react to invasion of Russian troops into Georgia.

Irakli Sesiashvili, a member of the Club of Independent Experts, does not believe that the NATO's office will guarantee Georgia's security. In his opinion, the main purpose of the office is to promote reforms. Mr Sesiashvili has stressed that the opening of the office and Rasmussen's visit were steps of rapprochement between Georgia and NATO, but not evidences of integration.