Bidzina Ivanishvili, leader of the Georgian Dream coalition that won the parliamentary election on October 1 and candidate for prime minister, is hopeful that Georgia may join NATO shortly.

"Georgia may become a NATO member soon," he said after meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Tuesday.

"This strategy coincides with the policy of the previous government; it will be carried on," Ivanishvili stressed.

"Our standpoints coincide fully in the question of foreign political priorities," Ivanishvili said.