Georgia on Saturday inaugurated its first military base that meets NATO standards.

"This is a historic event for Georgia, as this is the first military base for our armed forces which fully meets NATO standards," President Mikhail Saakashvili said when inaugurating the base.

Located some 320 km northwest of the capital Tbilisi, the military base contains training facilities and accommodation for troops.

Saakashvili, who was elected president in 2004, has promised to work toward NATO membership for the Caucasian state.

After years of negotiations, Tbilisi struck a deal on May 30 with Moscow on the pullout of Russian bases in Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi and the southern city of Akhalkalaki by 2008.

Source: Xinhua