page_title: Georgia–NATO relations
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: Georgia–NATO relations / Background
caption_attribution_description: NATO (in dark blue), Membership Action Plan (in blue), the Partnership for Peace countries (in green), the Mediterranean dialogue countries (in brown). Created by User:Aris Katsaris, modifying en:Image:BlankMap-World-v2.png. Aris Katsaris 22:54, 2 March 2006 (UTC) Added Contract Countries (Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea) in green. -- とある白い猫 ちぃ？ 03:13, 11 August 2011 (UTC)
context_page_description: Georgia and North Atlantic Treaty Organization relations officially began in 1994 when Georgia joined the NATO-run Partnership for Peace. Georgia has moved quickly following the Rose Revolution in 2003 to seek closer ties and eventual membership with NATO. Georgia's powerful northern neighbor, Russia, has opposed the closer ties, including those expressed at the 2008 Bucharest summit where NATO members promised that Georgia would eventually join the organization. In the 7 December 2011 statement of the North Atlantic Council Georgia was designated as an "aspirant country".
  Complications in the relationship between NATO and Georgia includes presence of Russian forces in Georgian territory as a result of multiple recent conflicts, like the 2008 South Ossetia war, over the territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are home to large numbers of Russian nationals. A nonbinding referendum in 2008 resulted in 77% of voters supporting NATO accession.
  The current Georgia–NATO relations occurs in the framework of the Substantial NATO–Georgia Package, a set of measures at the strategic, tactical and operational levels launched in 2014.
context_section_description: After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia became an independent nation under the nationalistic leadership of Zviad Gamsakhurdia. Georgia immediately had problems with Russian support of Ossetians in Georgia. Like others, Georgia joined the NATO-run North Atlantic Cooperation Council in 1992 and the Partnership for Peace, signing their agreement on March 23, 1994. In 1996, Georgia submitted their first Individual Partnership Plan, and in 1997 ratified the Status of Forces Agreement. Georgia opened official relations with NATO in 1998 by opening a diplomatic mission and presenting an ambassador. Following more discussions, the first joint military exercises occurred in Poti in 2001, with more in 2002.
  The 2003 Rose Revolution replaced Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze with Mikheil Saakashvili, who has promoted closer ties with western institutions including NATO. In 2004, Georgian forces worked with NATO forces in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, as part of the election security force.
caption:   NATO member states   Partnership for Peace countries   Mediterranean Dialogue countries   Contact countries
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