Congressman Mike Turner, Chairman of the U.S. Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, released the following statement after meeting with Misha Saakashvili, the President of Georgia:
“I was pleased to meet with Georgia's President, Misha Saakashvili, last night. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I know the invaluable contribution Georgia has made to NATO's mission in Afghanistan. U.S. and Georgian soldiers fight side-by-side to deny terrorists this safe haven.
“We owe Georgia the same support when it comes to its bid for NATO membership, which I am sad to say President Obama has so far ignored. As the head of the U.S. Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, I will soon lead a mission to NATO HQ to work towards Georgia's accession to NATO.
“President Obama must also fully implement section 1242 of the FY12 NDAA, which he signed into law. This provision merely calls for finally normalizing, three years into the Obama Administration, US-Georgian defense cooperation. The President owes this to our Georgian allies.
“I look forward to continuing to deepen the alliance between Georgia and the United States.”
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