Tbilisi Hopes for Turkey Support in Accession to NATO in 2008

PanARMENIAN.Net - Tbilisi hopes for Turkey's support in accession to the NATO in 2008, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili stated in an interview with the Milliyet newspaper. In Saakashvili's words, the major goal of Georgia's membership to the North Atlantic Alliance is «protection from external aggression.» «Suitable conditions for our accession to the NATO will be available in 2008. Then the Black Sea will turn into NATO internal sea,» the Georgian President said. «I hope we will have the schedule of accession of new members to the Alliance in the spring. Turkey will of course have a determining role in the process,» the Georgian leader emphasized. In his words, accession to the NATO Will help Georgia integrate into European structures. «The NATO membership will open a way for us to unite with Europe. This means we will become a reliable and attractive market for foreign investors,» Saakashvili said. «Besides, the NATO membership will protect us against external aggression, which is very important, and will give us chances to solve domestic issues peacefully,» the Georgian President said. He remarked that after withdrawal of Russian military bases in 2008 there will be no foreign troops in Georgia any more, reported Trend agency.