TBILISI. May 6 (Interfax) - The Georgian authorities will be guided by national interests when they consider whether to permit the deployment of a foreign military base in the country, Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze said.
"Our relations with NATO, the European Union and our strategic partner, the U.S., are at a very high level today. It is a great success, and we want to build upon it bearing in mind the fact that we will always adopt decisions that will meet our national interests," Bakhtadze said in a TV interview, when asked whether a foreign military base may appear in Georgia.
For the past few years, Georgia has been trying to get its message across to its Western partners that without security in the Black Sea region, it is impossible to speak of any solid security systems for Europe, he said.
"Looking at NATO's latest initiatives, security in the Black Sea region is becoming the main priority for the alliance today. The European Union shares this position," Bakhtadze said.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said a few days ago, when replying to a Voice of America question about the possibility of Georgia ever hosting a U.S. military base, that this issue had not been discussed, but the placement of such a base would anger Russia and would pose risks relating to terrorists.