Jens Stoltenberg, press point after the NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels, July 13, 2017. Photo: NATO

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg touched upon the recent installation of the ‘border sign’ in the area of Bershueti village, Gori District, at a press point following the NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels on July 13.

Responding to the question of Rustavi 2 TV, Jens Stoltenberg said that as the Secretary General of NATO, “I can say that of course we are concerned.”

“We have seen that the border posters have been moved several times, and we don’t recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as any kind of independent republics or nations. They are a part of Georgia, part of the international recognized borders of Georgia or within those borders,” Stoltenberg added.

The NATO Secretary General underlined that the Alliance supports “all efforts to try to find a negotiated peaceful solution to these conflicts” and continues to support Georgia through the NATO-Georgian Joint Training and Evaluation Center (JTEC) and the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, as well as through modernizing and strengthening the country’s “capacity to protect and defend itself.”