NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen reaffirmed support for Georgia's NATO bid, but said many reforms in Georgia are still needed to satisfy membership requirements.
"NATO's decision to open the Door to Georgia still stands - but a lot of reform still needs to be done," Rasmussen said at a formal meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission in Brussels.
"The Alliance will continue to support and guide those reforms, in particular democratic civilian oversight of defense and security force," he added.
NATO and Georgia established the NATO-Georgia Commission (NGC) in September 2008, to oversee the organization's assistance to Georgia following the conflict between Tbilisi and Moscow over South Ossetia and to oversee Georgia's drive to join the military alliance.
In December 2008, NATO foreign ministers agreed that Georgia should develop an Annual National Program under the auspices of the NGC.
Georgia has long been pursuing NATO membership, but its bid was turned down due to pressure from Germany and France at a 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest. However, NATO has stated that the country will join at an unspecified date in the future.
BRUSSELS, June 11 (RIA Novosti)
