Standing at the open door of NATO

Georgia’s relationship with NATO and its Western orientation has become a key issue for the United National Movement in its pre-election campaign. The ruling party speculates that the Georgian Dream and its leader Bidzina Ivanishvili stand against NATO and the country’s overall Western orientation. The current government has suggested that the visit of NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to Georgia demonstrates the West's support of the current Georgian administration. The opposition however highlights on its behalf parts of Rasmussen’s statements that stresses the utmost importance of holding the forthcoming parliamentary and presidential elections democratically.

Rasmussen’s visit took place while Georgia prepares to send two more battalions to Afghanistan, thus the number of military servicemen from Georgia in Afghanistan will reach 1,700. Accordingly, Georgia is becoming the country among non-NATO members that has the largest representation in the ISAF mission. The NATO Secretary General confirmed once again that NATO's doors are open to Georgia.

Rasmussen’s response was clear: he underlined that no third party will be allowed to interfere in any NATO decision. The current Georgian regime's representatives understood and interpreted Rasmussen’s words, whereas the opposition interpreted his comments in a broader manner which meant more democracy in Georgia. In his statements Rasmussen highlighted the importance of democratic elections. President Saakashvili assured Rasmussen that the forthcoming elections will be the most democratic in the history of Georgia. One of the representatives of the Georgian Dream opposition, Levan Berdzenishvvili, commented that if the ruling party was planning to manipulate 100% the elections now, it might manipulate 80%. Many analysts suggest that the results of October 1 elections will be challenged by the Georgian Dream and the West would have to make a crucial decision– either it has to accept the elections results or it has to support opposition claims of un-democratic elections which might eventually cause a mess in the country.