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.
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EU to extend sanctions against Belarus and Iran for supporting Russian war against Ukraine, says von der Leyen
The European Union will extend its sanctions, announced in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine, to those who militarily support Russia’s war, such as Belarus or Iran. This was announced by the Head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at a press conference today following the signing of the Third EU-NATO Joint Declaration on Cooperation.
“The European Union will keep doing everything in its power to support the brave people of Ukraine. We will keep the pressure on the Kremlin for as long as it takes with the biting sanctions regime,” said von der Leyen. “We will be coming forward with new sanctions on Belarus answering Belarus’ role in this Russian war in Ukraine.”
She also confirmed that the EU will continue its “substantial humanitarian economic and Security Assistance to Ukraine as long as it is necessary”.
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THE GEORGIAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION TO NATO PA HOLDS BILATERAL MEETINGS IN MADRID
The Parliamentary Delegation, headed by the Chair of the Defense and Security Committee, Irakli Beraia held the bilateral meetings within the NATO PA sessions.
According to the administration of the Parliament of Georgia, Georgian MPs met with the representatives of Sweden, Finland, Turkey and Estonia and dwelt on the regional security and security challenges of Georgia, the Russian war against Ukraine, the Russian occupation and its consequences, as well as the conventional and hybrid threats that Georgia encounters.
Georgian MPs underlined the necessity of Georgia’s NATO integration and the acceleration of this decision emphasizing the necessity to further enhance the countering the security and hybrid threats for the national defense of Georgia.
According to I. Beraia, providing the drastically aggravated security milieu, the partners well realize the importance of Georgia’s membership, which makes Georgia optimistic.
“The NATO allies can make a brave decision in case of their political will and it is a good signal for us that Georgia’s NATO membership can be accelerated, which is the ultimate goal we look forward since the value-based choice of the Georgian citizens is to become a NATO member. We dwelt on the value of Georgia for NATO against the background of the increased threats in the region. We stressed that Georgia has not only the will but the capacity and experience to contribute to NATO security. When our partners aspire to diversify the energy resources and enhance the connection between the East and West, it increases the role of Georgia as a NATO member state. The partners strongly support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country and pledged to further support us in all the formats and at all international platforms and in international organizations”, - I. Beraia stated.
The parties touched upon bilateral relations, Parliamentary cooperation and exchange visits.
The Georgian Delegation is composed of the First Deputy Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Giorgi Khelashvili and the Deputy Chairs of the Defense Committee, Vladimir Chachibaia and Teona Akubardia.
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Prime Minister’s meeting with NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia
Georgia’s progress toward Euro-Atlantic integration and the key directions on the NATO-Georgia relations agenda were the main topics discussed at today’s meeting between Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, Javier Colomina.
Irakli Garibashvili and Javier Colomina spoke about the supportive measures tailored to Georgia and seeking to expand the country’s defense capabilities even further.
Attention was paid to NATO’s new Strategic Concept. As it was noted, the concept reiterates NATO’s unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial sovereignty and emphasizes the strategic importance of the Black Sea to the Alliance.
According to the Prime Minister, Georgia has always been one of the most reliable and capable partners of the Alliance, making a tremendous contribution to common Euro-Atlantic security. Irakli Garibashvili underlined that, over the years, Georgia has achieved significant progress on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration.
The conversation touched on the ongoing war in Ukraine and the complex security environment in the region and the world. Irakli Garibashvili and Javier Colomina discussed the situation in Georgia’s occupied territories. The Prime Minister reaffirmed the Georgian Government’s commitment to the policy of peaceful conflict resolution.
The meeting at the Government Administration was attended by the Head of the NATO Liaison Office in Georgia, Alexander Vinnikov, Georgia’s Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, and the Head of the Georgian Mission to NATO, Victor Dolidze.
Press Service of the Government Administration -
The Substantial NATO-Georgia Package Core Team Discusses Crisis Management Initiative
The Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP) aims to strengthen Georgia’s ability to defend itself and advance in its preparations for NATO membership. Since its endorsement by NATO Heads of State and Government, relevant representatives have been working together to further Georgia’s defense capabilities, increase its interoperability with NATO, and support Georgia’s integration in the alliance.
This week, members of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP) Core Team met with representatives of the National Crisis Management Center (Department) of the Office of National Security Council for discussions related to SNGP’s Crisis Management Initiative, which is led by Denmark.
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$775 Million in Additional U.S. Military Assistance for Ukraine
PRESS STATEMENT
ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE
As we approach the six-month mark of Russia’s unprovoked and brutal full-scale war against Ukraine, President Putin’s forces continue their assault, inflicting grievous harm on civilians and causing massive destruction of civilian infrastructure. President Biden has been clear that we will continue to support the people of Ukraine in defending their country from Russia’s aggression for as long as it takes.
As part of those efforts, pursuant to a delegation of authority from the President, today I am authorizing our nineteenth drawdown since September 2021 of U.S. arms and equipment utilizing this authority. This $775 million drawdown includes additional arms, munitions, and equipment from U.S. Department of Defense inventories, equipment that Ukraine’s forces have used so effectively for their country’s defense. This package brings total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine to approximately $10.6 billion since the beginning of this Administration.
The United States stands with our Allies and partners from more than 50 countries in providing vital security assistance to support Ukraine’s defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The courage and strength of Ukraine’s military and its people are extraordinary, and the United States will continue to provide additional systems and capabilities for Ukraine. These capabilities are carefully calibrated to make the most difference on the battlefield and strengthen Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table.
