NATO liaison office was inaugurated in Tbilisi on October 1 by visiting NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Georgian State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration, Giorgi Baramidze.

Rasmussen said at the opening ceremony before meeting with President Saakashvili, that the NATO liaison office would be “a key instrument to support your reform efforts.”

Giorgi Baramidze said: “The Alliance representation in Georgia reflects special relations which Georgian and NATO have after the Bucharest Summit. It is a vivid demonstration of strong political support.”

He also said that Georgian had “achieved a substantial progress in doing its homework” of implementing reforms.

“At the same time we know that we have much left to do,” Baramidze added. “We are firm to address the problems of ongoing occupation of Georgian territories, challenges of unemployment and poverty, to continue democratic and liberal economic reforms.”

The NATO Secretary General reiterated in his speech at the opening ceremony that the alliance’s commitment to Georgia’s eventual membership as stated in the decision of NATO leaders in Bucharest summit in April, 2008, “stands firm.”

“Since our summit in Bucharest we have developed the necessary framework and the right tools,” Rasmussen said. “We have developed cooperation and dialogue in the framework of the NATO-Georgian Commission. We have worked together on the Annual National Program, a roadmap of comprehensive reforms and transformation.”

“NATO allies provide significant assistance to Georgia to help it carry out its reforms,” he added.