Visit of the NATO's senior decision-making body, North Atlantic Council, to Georgia next week is "a very significant event that stresses the very special partnership between Georgia and NATO," Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the alliance's Secretary General, said.

Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, he said that since NAC's first visit to Georgia three years ago, there had been "significant progress" in NATO-Georgia relations, as well as in "reforms of the Georgian defense and the Georgian society in general."

"The purpose of our visit to Georgia will be to discuss with the political leaders in Georgia how we can make further progress when it comes to reforms, and further progress in the relationship between Georgia and NATO," Rasmussen said.

He reiterated NATO's gratitude for Georgia's significant contribution to the Afghan operation. "Georgia belongs to the largest contributors to our operation in Afghanistan and it is a testament to the very strong Georgian commitment to our Alliance," he added.

The NATO Secretary General and NAC, involving ambassadors from the member states, will visit Tbilisi and Batumi on November 9-10, Civil.Ge reported.