Georgia Exchanges CIS Council of Defense Ministers for NATO

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has signed a decree on ceasing Georgia’s participation in the CIS Council of Defense Ministers. The Georgian MFA explained why a decision of the kind was made. MFA representatives said Tbilisi works for NATO accession and cannot simultaneously be part of two military unions. The MFA also reported that the CIS Executive Committee is already informed of Saakashvili’s decision. Mikhail Kamynin, a Russian MFA official representative, stated that if Georgia withdraws the CIS Council of Defense Ministers, Moscow will view it as a decision of a sovereign state, reported Russian media.