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• The NATO Military Committee to visit Georgia

  The NATO Military Committee and its Chairman, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach will be in Tbilisi, Georgia on 27 and 28 March 2019. 

  As a show of support to its long-time partner, the NATO Military Committee will hold a meeting in the NATO-Georgia format chaired by the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Air Chief Marshal Peach and the Georgian Minister of Defence, Mr Levan Izoria. The opening remarks will be open to the media. The NATO Military Committee will receive an overview of the regional security situation, including the occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and the Black Sea. The NATO Military Representatives will then be briefed on the ongoing implementation of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, the ongoing Georgian Reforms as well as the continuing Georgian contributions to NATO operations and exercises. 

  On the 28th of March, the NATO Military Committee will head to the Vaziani Military Base to receive a briefing from the Combat Training Centre and visit the Georgia Defence Readiness Programme, a bilateral programme designed, by the US, to improve Georgian troops’ combat readiness and develop a self-sustaining institutional capacity to man, train and equip their national missions. 

  The NATO Military Committee will then proceed to the Joint Training and Evaluation Centre to observe the “NATO-Georgia Exercise 2019”. This joint multinational brigade-level, Command Post exercise aims to further develop the interoperability of Georgian, Allied and Partner Forces, as well as Georgian command and control capabilities.

   

• Visit of NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation SACT to Georgia

  “We have a good common objective, which is to strengthen our defense and how we build more peace and security together”, - this was the message from the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation SACT General Denis Mercier declared after meeting with the Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria. 

  After the official welcome ceremony at the headquarter of the General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces General Denis Mercier held meetings with the Georgian Defence Minister and Chief of General Staff of GAF. 

  Levan Izoria thanked General Mercier for the steadfast political and practical support of NATO towards Georgia and introduced implemented and ongoing defence reforms to him which are directed at strengthening the defence capabilities of Georgia and bring Georgia closer to NATO. 

  According to the Defence Minister, visit of General Denis Mercier to Georgia demonstrates the support of the North Atlantic Alliance to the NATO aspirant country - Georgia. 

  During the meeting the sides talked about the progress Georgia achieved on the path towards NATO integration. Special focus was made on implementation of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP), in particular on NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Center (JTEC) which is closely cooperating with the NATO Allied Command Transformation.

• Georgian Aviation Day marked at Alekseevka Military Airfield

  The 25th Jubilee of the Georgian Aviation was marked at the military airfield of Alekseevka Combined Air Squadron. Minister of Defence Levan Izoria, Chief of the General Staff of the GAF Major General Vladimer Chachibaia, Aviation and Air Defence Commander LTC Sergo Ninua, Ministry of Defence representatives and high ranking officers attended the 25th anniversary .

  Before beginning the celebrations, Minister laid wreath on the memorial of hero warriors fallen in fights for the territorial integrity of Georgia. A solemn ceremony was opened by the Georgian State Anthem. To honour the memory of the fallen soldiers, the invited guests held a minute of silence.

  Defence Minister addressed the military personnel and congratulated them on the 25th anniversary of the formation of Georgian aviation. Minister Levan Izoria focused on the implemented defence reforms and informed the audience about the future plans of modernizing military equipment in cooperation with Georgia`s strategic partners and purchasing unmanned aerial vehicles. 

  The MoD leadership awarded the military servicemen with service medals and presents. Minister Levan Izoria granted four military servicemen a 7,62X54 mm sniper rifle and Major General Vladimer Chachibaia awarded two military servicemen with service guns. LTC Sergo Ninua bestowed medal “Devoted to Motherland” on five military for 20 or more years of outstanding military service and II rank medal “For Impeccable Service in Defence System”- on one military serviceman. 

  After the event, the military equipment was displayed at the military airfield.

  The formation of the Georgian military aviation dates back in August 20 1918, when the first Georgian Military Aviation Unit was formed under the decision of Georgian Parliament. In February of 1921, Georgian military pilots fought vigorously against the Soviet occupation and carried out several successful attacks against the adversary near Tbilisi.

  After Georgia regained independence in 1992, Military-Air Force and Air-Defence Division was established which was made into the Main Division in 1993. In spring of 2010, Military Air Force became subordinated to Land Forces. Today, Aviation and Air Defence Command is in the subordination of the General Staff of the GAF.

  In the last period of time, the qualification and combat preparation level of engineer-technical personnel and pilots has significantly improved through numerous exercises and trainings on the basis of multi-annual cooperation with NATO and Partner countries. With the help of the allied countries, Georgian military education system was streamlined as result, National Defence Academy and Giorgi Antsukhelidze  NCO Training Centre are preparing aviation officers and sergeants.

• MoU concluded on the implementation of GDRP

  With regard to the implementation of Georgia Defence Readiness Programme (GDRP), Defence Ministry of Georgia and the United States European Command (EUCOM) concluded Memorandum of Understanding. Minister of Defence Levan Izoria and Director of Strategy and Policy for U.S. European Command Maj. Gen. David W. Allvin signed the MoU.

  Minister Levan Izoria thanked the U.S.official for a vigorous cooperation with and support of Georgia and stressed the significance of the GDRP for the Armed Forces of Georgia.

  According to Minister, the MoU envisages strengthening territorial defence capabilities of Georgia, especially in a military training area:  “In cooperation with our U.S. partners, we plan to staff, equip and train 9 Georgian battalions to enhance the national defence capabilities and security of the country.

  GDRP is being implemented within the Framework Agreement on Security singed between Ministry of Defence of Georgia and the U.S. Department of Defence for 2016-2019.

  Prior to signing the Memorandum, Minister hosted Major General David Allvin personally. Chief of the General Staff of the GAF Major General Vladimer Chachibaia, First Deputy Minister of Defence Lela Chikovani, First Deputy Chief of the GS COL Nikoloz Janjgava as well as the Sergeant Major of the GAF Koba Tsirekidze attended the meeting.

• Statement of the Ministry of Defence of Georgia

  An attack was conducted on a combined motorized patrol in the vicinity of the Bagram Air Base, in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. As a result, Soldier of the 23rd Battalion of the II Infantry Brigade who served in the “Resolute Support” mission, Junior Sergeant Mdinari Bebiashvili (23.10.1991) was killed in Action. Junior Sergeant Bebiashvili served in the Georgian Armed Forces since 2010. He participated in the ISAF mission in 2012 and 2014. He has received medal for “Participating in Peacekeeping Operations”.

  Three Georgian servicemen were wounded in an attack. The health condition of Captain Mikheil Gvirjishvili is stable but critical; the wounds of two other servicemen, Senior Lieutenant Giga Khakhutashvili and Corporal Gela Kharshiladze are not considered life threatening. All three of them are receiving treatment at Bagram Air Base Hospital.

  The Ministry of Defence of Georgia expresses deepest condolences to the family of fallen peacekeeper, Junior Sergeant Mdinari Bebiashvili.  

  The Defence Minister of Georgia Levan Izoria expresses deepest condolences over the death of the Junior Sergeant Mdinari Bebiashvili in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

  “I express my deepest condolences over the death of the Junior Sergeant Mdinari Bebiashvili who served in 23rd Battalion of the II Infantry Brigade. The Junior Sergeant and his platoon was on patrol with the American and local military forces when two suicide bombers carried out a terrorist act. Three Georgian servicemen were wounded in an attack. The wounds of two servicemen are not considered life threatening, and the condition of the third military serviceman is stable but critical, but everything is done in the hospital to improve its condition. In this very difficult period of time, we offer our deepest condolences to the family of our fallen comrade”, - said Defence Minister.

  The US Ambassador to Georgia H.E. Ian Kelly has also expressed his condolences over the death of the Georgian servicemen. During his telephone conversation with the Defence Minister, Ambassador said that he expresses deepest condolences over the incident to the Georgian Armed Forces and the family members of the fallen soldier.