"Maintaining relations between NATO and Georgia makes sense," yet "there are serious concerns" about recent developments, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated on March 26 at a press conference following the publication of the alliance's annual report.

"First of all, regarding Georgia, we are in close coordination with the European Union. While we believe maintaining NATO-Georgia relations is essential, we must also acknowledge recent developments... Consequently, we call on Georgia to return to a more pro-European, future-oriented approach, including a commitment to the democratic processes and the trajectory involving the rule of law... Clearly, there are serious concerns at the moment," he remarked at a press conference in Brussels on March 26.

Rutte also emphasized that he favors continuing relations with Georgia rather than terminating them:

"We are engaged in dialogue and discussion... We must adopt the position that it's better to maintain relations so we can discuss these issues, rather than saying, 'You know, we don't like this, so we're completely terminating relations'".

This was his response to a question from Eurospok founder and journalist Tamar Nutsubidze regarding the mention of Georgia in the alliance's annual report and NATO's position on recent developments in the country.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte presented the alliance's annual report on March 26, which includes a reference to Georgia.

The document notes that "against the backdrop of the 2024 parliamentary elections and subsequent developments, Allies discussed NATO's engagement in Georgia".

"As a result, a reassessment of the priorities of individual elements of NATO-Georgia cooperation, including certain aspects of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, was conducted," the report states.

According to the report, NATO's defense cooperation with the Georgian Defense Forces has advanced, as reflected in the joint NATO-Georgia exercise held in May.

"The NATO Representation in Tbilisi continues to cooperate with all three partners in the South Caucasus region," the report states.

It also notes that a large team of NATO advisors continued to work with Georgian counterparts throughout 2025 "to enhance their defense capabilities and interoperability with the Alliance".

According to NATO's stated policy, the Alliance remains open to Georgia, but "Georgia will become a member of the Alliance through a Membership Action Plan (MAP), which is a step-by-step process".

Georgia remains required to implement reforms to achieve a MAP.