Defence Minister of Georgia Levan Izoria hosted Ambassador of the USA to Georgia, H.E. Ian Crawford Kelly at the MoD today. First deputy Defence Minister Lela Chikovani, U.S. Defence Attaché, Colonel Garrick Harmon and ODC representative, Captain Matthew Janiga attended the meeting as well.
Strengthening of Georgia’s defence capabilities and implementation of the Memorandum on Deepening the Defense and Security Partnership between the United States and Georgia were the main topics of discussion. “The Memorandum concluded between the U.S. and Georgia gives us good possibility to strengthen our cooperation in the spheres of improving command and control, optimization of military units, trainings for them”, stated Levan Izoria.
The sides referred to a new strategy of the MoD which aims to strengthen defence capability more. On purpose of elaboration the strategy, a working team will be created in the MoD. Together with the MoD officials the representatives from State Security and Crisis management Council, National Security Council, NATO Core Team, CUBIC and ODC, as well as foreign partners will become members of the working team. “The U.S. experts will actively participate in the process we have launched. We set up working team which elaborates a strategy for the next four years how to develop country’s defence capabilities. To this respect we have full support from the United States of America”, outlined Levan Izoria.
The sides also talked about bilateral cooperation issues in defence sphere and future plans. Georgia’s NATO integration process was also a topic of discussion at the meeting. “We have planned joint trainings in September. In October we are hosting high-level officials from the U.S. Department of Defense. So we have planned a range of activities”, emphasized Defence Minister.
Following the meeting U.S. Ambassador evaluated the issues he had discussed at the meeting with Defence Minister: “I was very pleased to see the Minister again. We have also worked of course in his previous job. We had lot to discuss because we have a lot of work in frame of us. We are ready, of course, to support Georgia and the Ministry of Defence that moves closer and closer towards the West and towards the Euro-Atlantic integration. The United States is prepared to start some new ways of cooperation as well with the Georgian readiness program to try to help Georgia with some internal concerns in terms of reforms, in terms of deterring aggression”.