Georgia parliament speaker wants U.S. base before joining NATO

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Republican Party wants to have a U.S. military base in Georgia before the country becomes a full member of NATO, the Democracy & Freedom Watch said citing party spokesperson Davit Usupashvili.

During a debate on Rustavi 2 Tuesday, September 6, Usupashvili, who is the speaker of parliament, drew attention to his proposal to add a text to the Constitution saying that “it is the firm will of Georgian people to join the Euro-Atlantic space.”

The proposal came as a response to a proposal by Nino Burjanadze, leader of Democratic Movement, to state in the Constitution that Georgia should have a non-bloc status, i.e. not be allied with either NATO or Russia.

Usupashvili said that number one issue on the Republicans’ list of priorities is the security of the state, and their main goal is to join NATO. He went even further and proposed establishing a United States military base in Georgia before the country even becomes a member of NATO.

“Before Georgia actually joins NATO, the country has to take care that a U.S. military base be established on its territory,” Usupashvili said.

In 2015, NATO opened a training facility in Tbilisi, which was unofficially described as a base. Russia called the move provocative.