TBILISI, Aug 17 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday that Georgia was on a clear path to membership in NATO but reiterated that she stood by her decision at a summit in April not to grant Tbilisi a "membership action plan" for joining the alliance.

She was speaking at a joint news conference with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

(Reporting by Andreas Moeser and Margarita Antidze; Writing by Noah Barkin in Berlin)

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