Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Georgian counterpart on Georgia joining NATO; and if he will make a statement.

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) met with his counterparts from NATO Allies and NATO’s aspiring members (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Macedonia and Montenegro) on 4 September 2014 during the NATO Summit in Wales. During this meeting their progress towards joining the Alliance was discussed, among other issues.

At the Summit, NATO Foreign Ministers agreed to provide a ‘substantial package’ of support and engagement measures to Georgia in recognition of the reform progress they have made.

The United Kingdom strongly supports NATO’s Open Door policy on enlargement and welcomes the membership aspirations of all the countries currently seeking to join the Alliance.