Georgia is as closer to gaining NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) as never before, Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said in an interview with Rustavi 2 TV on March 8, after her arrival from Brussels.

“Georgia is very close to its goal, which is joining NATO Membership Action Plan – after which we will be only one step away from joining the alliance. We have very serious support from our friends. Further steps undertaken by us, as well as stability in the country and consolidation within the country have vital importance for this process,” she said.

The Georgian authorities hope NATO will invite Tbilisi to join the MAP at its summit in Bucharest next month. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the NATO secretary general, said on March 6 after a NATO foreign ministerial council that no decision had been made about inviting Georgia to join the MAP. He, however, said discussions would continue until the Bucharest summit.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, said on March 6 that he remained “skeptical” about Georgia’s and Ukraine’s chances of joining the MAP, Deutsche Welle reported.

Burjanadze also said on March 8 that Georgia’s NATO aspiration would further aggravate ties with Russia, “but eventually I still hope relations will improve later.”