Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili offered NATO an alternate supplies route to Afghanistan. Currently, supplies go through either Pakistan, vulnerable to attacks, or through Russia. But Russia does not allow the shipment of any lethal military supplies, and Turkey, although convenient, is vulnerable to insurgent attack.
This is the second Georgian offer, but is likely to be ignored. A senior analyst at the European Counsel for Foreign Relations said that NATO is not convinced that the route is viable or less expensive than either of the current routes. The analyst also questioned whether Georgia’s infrastructure could support the cargo supply.
Georgia and Ukraine both have applied for NATO membership, but this was strongly opposed by Russia—which does not want a NATO presence on the Black Sea—and Germany and France, both of which have strong Russian ties. It is unclear whether this offer of a supply route to NATO was just a friendly gesture, a way to court membership, or just an attempt to bolster NATO presence in Georgia and Eastern Europe.
Read more at Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.