Leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States at the Kazan summit, August 2005 (AFP)
3 February 2006 – Georgia today withdrew from a group intended to develop military cooperation among ex-Soviet nations.
The decision to opt out of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States was taken by President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Saakashvili has set his country the goal of securing an invitation to join NATO by 2008.
The statement said Georgia "has taken a course to join NATO and it cannot be part of the two military structures simultaneously."
(AFP, AP)
RFE/RL Caucasus Report
RFE/RL Caucasus Report
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