TBILISI. March 12 (Interfax-AVN) - A Georgian delegation led by Foreign Minister Irakly Menagarishvili left for Brussels on Wednesday to attend the third leg of political consultations in the NATO-Georgia format, Deputy Foreign Minister Kakha Sikharilidze told Interfax-Military News Agency.
The delegation consists of officials of the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry and National Security Council. The consultations will take place in the NATO headquarters from Thursday to Friday.
According to Sikharilidze, Menagarishvili will meet with NATO Secretary General George Robertson on Thursday.
Sikharilidze said that the format of the negotiations earlier prescribed that the Georgian delegation is headed by a deputy foreign minister, but later the level was raised.
"It is related to the fact that Georgia considers rapprochement with NATO a landmark event, especially after the Georgian president announced the country's intention to join the Alliance at the Prague summit in November last year," Sikharilidze noted.
While staying in Brussels, the Georgian delegation will also meet with members of the unofficial Vilnius Ten that united in 2002 to coordinate and provide mutual aid when becoming closer with NATO.
Participants in the third leg of consultations will discuss prospects of relations between Georgia and NATO, parameters of the state program of Euro-Atlantic integration and a new partnership program suggested by the Alliance. The officials will also negotiate on the political and economic situation in Georgia, conflicts settlement, Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, Russian military bases in Georgia, and military reform.
NATO will be represented at the consultations by Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Guenther Altenburg.