NATO special envoy arrives in Tbilisi

  NATO Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai said he arrived in Tbilisi to prepare a visit to Georgia by NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen due to take place at the end of June. Appathurai told journalists on Monday that he would be received by the Georgian president, the prime minister, the foreign minister and the defence minister. He said he would meet the Georgian state minister for European integration and the secretary of the Georgian Security Council. Appathurai said the visit would also focus on issues, which would be raised as part of Rasmussen’s trip to Georgia. He stressed that NATO supported all efforts taken by Georgia. Appathurai will take part in opening NATO Week in Georgia. It will start on June 3 and last till June 10. The Week is organised by the Georgian Information Centre on NATO and the European Union under the auspices of the Georgian State Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. In recent months Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said the Georgian government “believes it possible to normalise relations with Russia amidst the country’s drive for joining NATO”. He said, “If Mikhail Saakashvili does not make serious mistakes, Georgia could normalise relations with Russia several years ago and bring closer to NATO or join the Alliance.”