Debate: NATO membership for Georgia

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Should NATO grant Georgia membership?

Background

The Republic of Georgia is located in Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia. It has a population of 4,630,841. Within Georgia, two regions are run autonomously: Abkhazia and Ajara. A former member of the Soviet Union, Georgia gained its independence in April of 1991.

Relations between Georgia and Russia remain tense. Russia wants to regain control of two regions currently under Georgian Rule: Abkhazia and South Ossetia. More recently, there has been talk of Georgian aspiration to membership in NATO and beyond that, even membership in the European Union.

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Security

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Yes

Discourage Discord between Russia and Georgia:With America behind Georgia, Russia might be deterred from aggresive policies in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Georgian membership would strengthen the NATO alliance Bush stated at the joint press conference in the White House with Saakashvili (White House transcript, March 19) - "I believe that NATO would benefit from Georgian membership."[1]

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No

Georgia's membership would transfer its tensions with Russia to all NATO countries, and threaten the peace and stability of the world.

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Georgian Economic Benefits

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Yes

Georgia's Deputy Defence Minister, Levan Nikoleishvili, reports that Georgia sees NATO membership as a key for economic development. The Georgian economy is mostly based on agricultural production. The economy is endangered by a widening trade deficit and high inflation, and NATO membership would surely encourage investment and economic stability.

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No

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Georgia's Democracy

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Yes

Standards for membership include western political and economic reform. Security concerns are current encouraging Georgia to pursue the 'democratic values' that bind NATO countries together, including more tolerant policies in Abkhazia.

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No

Georgia, in terms of economy is very poor, that NATO can't benefit from them.

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Necessity

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Yes

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No

• The United Nations (UN) should already provide the needed security guarantees for non-NATO countries. Efforts should be concentrated in the area of improving UN's political and military power such that it can ensure the security of member states.

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Is Georgia a reliable partner that would make a good member?

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Yes

Revaz Beshidze, Head of the Georgian Mission to NATO: Since the accession to NATO Partnership for Peace Programme in 1994, Georgia has proved to be a reliable partner to the Alliance. Georgia is already a security provider as it is actively contributing to international security. Georgian military servants are currently participating in peace and stabilization operations in Kosovo and Iraq. Besides, Georgia will resume its participation in International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in the nearest future. At the same time, the consultations with the Alliance on Georgia’s support to the Operation Active Endeavour are close to completion.

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No

Even if Georgia is a reliable partner that doesn't mean that we should invite it into NATO. The evidence clearly shows that there is no need to change status quo because now Georgia's relations with NATO are good enough.

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Would future enlargement worsen the NATO's capability of action?

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Yes

• As NATO has to take make all decisions unanimously, any future enlargement would decrease the likelihood of consensus as every country tends to have at least a bit different position. Because of lesser likelihood of making unanimous decisions quickly enough to effectively address the problem, the NATO's capability of action would shrink.

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No

Georgia is already taking part in majority of NATO missions, therefore its opinions and stands are not very different from these of other member countries and it would therefore be no problem for Georgia to contribute to considerate, but still quick consensus.

See also

• Debate: NATO membership for Israel
• Debate: NATO expansion
• Debate: Ukraine membership in NATO

External links and resources

• NATO-Georgia Relations
• CIA Georgia Brief
• BBC Georgia Profile
• "Dramatic claims of murder and corruption in Georgia", The Economist, October 2007
• "A report from Abkhazia", The Economist, July 2008
• "Georgia's Nato bid irks Russia", by James Rodgers, BBC, November 2006