Assemblée parlementaire de l'OTAN
HomeMEDIA RESOURCES20099 April 2009 - NATO PA President John Tanner visits Ukraine and Georgia

9 April 2009 - NATO PA President John Tanner visits Ukraine and Georgia

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NATO PA President, Hon John Tanner (United States) visited Ukraine and Georgia on 6 and 7 April, immediately following his participation in the Strasbourg/Kehl NATO summit, and the Assembly's Standing Committee meeting in Vilnius. Mr Tanner was joined by the Hon Jo Ann Emerson, Chairman of the Assembly's Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security, and NATO PA Secretary General David Hobbs.

             

  Assembly President John Tanner and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko

In setting out the rationale for these visits, Mr Tanner said, “This was my first opportunity as Assembly President to visit partner countries, and I decided to use this opportunity to underline the Assembly's continuing commitment to Ukraine and Georgia 's process of Euro-Atlantic integration.”

“At the NATO summit, I expressed the conviction that NATO's door should remain open and that no third parties should have Euro veto over future NATO enlargement.  NATO enlargement threatens no-one.  On the contrary, it enhances the stability and security of the whole Euro-Atlantic region.”

In both Ukraine and Georgia, Mr Tanner met parliamentarians and governmental officials.  A consistent theme was the commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration and to the implementation of the reforms needed to bring integration to fruition.

During a meeting with Ukraine 's President Victor Yushchenko, Mr Tanner acknowledged Ukraine 's contributions to all NATO's current operations, which is continuing despite the difficulties of the current financial crisis.

In a similar vein, he thanked Georgia 's President Mikheil Saakashvili for the recent commitment to increase Georgia ’s forces participating in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.  President Saakashvili said that he had greatly appreciated the Assembly’s support following last year's occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by Russia.

At the conclusion of his visit, President Tanner underlined the Assembly's close ties with the parliaments of Ukraine and Georgia.  “The Assembly has distinctive, strong relationships with Ukraine and Georgia.  Their parliaments make valued contributions to the Assembly’s work, and the Assembly does all it can to assist them as they play their crucial part in carrying out the reforms needed for Euro-Atlantic integration”.

 Hon. John Tanner, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and Hon. Jo Ann Emerson
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