First Deputy Defense Minister hosted Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary Ambassadors of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Lela Chikovani thanked Edite Medne, Andrius Kalindra and Riina Kaljurand for firm support to Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspiration and territorial integrity. Deputy Defense Minister emphasized special friendly cooperation based on mutual trust and support among Georgia and the Baltic States and stated that an intensive cooperation in defense sphere will continue in the future.   

The sides overviewed various cooperation issues in different directions of defense sphere among Georgia and three strategic importance countries. Contribution of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in SNGP implementation process, their practical support and expert level engagement were highlighted at the meeting as well. The sides also discussed regional and global security challenges, existing complicated environment and increasing threats.

Lela Chikovani introduced the guests all implemented and ongoing reforms in defense structure and briefed on upcoming steps in order to improve and strengthen Georgia’s defense capabilities according to the 2020-2030 long-term action plan.

The working meeting on the synchronization of Substantial NATO-Georgia Package will begin on March 28, at 09:00 tomorrow in Army Hall of Ministry of Defence. First Deputy Minister of Defence Lela Chikovani, Bulgarian Ambassador to Georgia Dessislava Ivanova and NATO HQ representative Steffen Elgersma will open the workshop.
The working meeting for the synchronization of Substantial NATO-Georgia Package was planned jointly by NATO and Georgia. Such kind of workshop is held in Georgia for the first time. It aims at achieving the joint approach towards strategic direction, consolidation of international support and identifying directions requiring additional support and improved management of resources.
During three days, up to 80 experts from the NATO member and partner nations, along with Georgian government representatives will discuss the synchronization of defence and security priorities envisaged by fifteen SNGP initiatives.
The media representatives interested in covering the working meeting on the synchronization of SNGP should arrive at to Ministry of Defence (from Uznadze street) on Tuesday, March 28, 08:30.

The ongoing reform process in the field of defence, the progress achieved in defence transformation and the tasks to be implemented in future were the key topics Minister of Defence of Georgia highlighted during the meeting with Chairman of NATO Military Committee General Petr Pavel. In the framework of two-day visit of the NATO MS delegation, General Petr Pavel held the first meeting in Ministry of Defence attended by First Deputy Minister Lela Chikovani, Chief of the GS of the GAF Brigadier General Vladimer Chachibaia and Head of the Georgian Mission to NATO Aleksandre Maisuradze. Security situation and challenges faced by Georgia, its engagement in the context of Black Sea security were focused on during discussions. As Defence Minister underlined, Georgia is the most interoperable and reliable partner of NATO in the region providing a significant contribution to the Euro-Atlantic and international security operations. The sides also stressed importance of NATO-Georgia cooperation mechanisms and Substantial NATO-Georgia Package implementation. Minister Levan Izoria thanked NATO MS Chairman for significant practical assistance provided by NATO nations promoting enhancement of defence capabilities of the GAF and NATO interoperability According to Minister, senior military authority of NATO conducted the meeting in Georgia for the second time in Georgia`s history which is a visible demonstration for its unwavering support towards Georgia`s sovereignty, territorial integrity and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. The meeting with General Petr Pavel and senior NATO military representatives continued in an extended format. After the meeting, Minister and Chairman of NATO Military Committee held a press-conference with media representatives and answered the questions around NATO-Georgia cooperation and future plans of partnership.

The First Deputy Minister of Defence of Georgia Lela Chikovani awarded the strategic and operational planning project expert of NATO-Georgia Substantial Package LTC Vincent Henkinet with Kakutsa Cholokashvili Medal. Lela Chikovani thanked the Belgian advisor for his successful mission in Georgia.
Rotation of LTC Vincent Hankin took place after his 6 month-long professional activity in Georgia. He will be replaced by the representative of Armed Forces of Belgium Lieutenant Colonel Claude Moerman who will be working in Georgia under SNGP for six month.
The awarding ceremony was hosted in the Ministry of Defence. The representatives of International Relations and Euro-Atlantic Integration Department of MOD and the military experts from SNGP contributor countries attended the meeting as well.

31st August has been announced as the Georgian Peacekeeper`s Day. With regard to this day, Defence Minister Levan Izoria and Chief of the GS Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze laid wreath on the Memorial of the Heroes fallen in fights for the territorial integrity of Georgia and while performing peacekeeping operations. Deputy Ministers Lela Chikovani, Zaal Kapanadze and Giorgi Butkhuzi as well as Deputy Chief of the GS Giorgi Surmava paid tribute to the memory of the fallen military.
Georgian Peacekeeper`s Day was established under the decision of Defence Minister Levan Izoria. 17 years ago, just on this day, the first Georgian Peacekeeping Platoon was deployed to Kosovo to perform the peace support mission there. “Today we are celebrating Georgian Peacekeeper`s Day for the first time. Our military have been faithfully engaged in different international missions for already 17 years led under aegis of EU and NATO. I have just arrived from Afghanistan where I witnessed their professionalism and their international recognition. Each person in Georgia should know that they are fulfilling a very significant mission. It is the demonstration of a great trust towards them and recognition of their professionalism. I am both happy and pride about this fact like any Georgian citizen”, stated Minister Levan Izoria.
Today, Minister will also meet the Georgian military peacekeepers who performed the first mission in Kosovo: ”we are marking this day together with our partners. We have invited the Platoon that had carried out the first peacekeeping mission in Kosovo 17 years ago. First of all I would like to thank all of them and all the military who participated in this important mission.”
Georgian Armed Forces have been participating in the international missions led under the auspices of EU and NATO since 1999. At this moment, the Georgian military contingent is involved in peace support operation as part of the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. One Georgian officer is also engaged in the EU military-training mission in Mali.

The First Deputy Minister of Defence of Georgia Lela Chikovani met with the Chief of Defence of the Republic of Finland, Lieutenant-General Jarmo Lindberg. The Chief of General Staff of Georgia, Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze, Georgia’s Defence Attaché to the Republic of Finland,  Finland’s Defence Attaché to Georgia and othe members of the delegation attended the meeting as well.
The sides discussed the future prospects of cooperation between Georgia and the Republic of Finland in the field of Defence. Both sides expressed their willingness to strengthen cooperation and focused on exchange of information in intelligence sphere, cyber security, reserve and mobilization issues.
Lela Chikovani briefed the guests about the planned reforms at the Ministry of Georgia. She got interested in the Finnish model of defence system and talked about the importance of sharing experience. The regional security environment was also discussed at the meeting.
Chief of Defence of the Republic of Finland pays an official visit to Georgia for the first time hosted by his Georgian colleague Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze. The official welcoming ceremony was held in front of the headquarters of the General Staff.  

The names of Deputy Defence Ministers are known. According to the new Defence Minister Levan Izoria, the First Deputy Defence Minister will be Lela Chikovani and the Second Deputy Defence Minister will be Nukri Gelashvili.
According to Izoria, Lela Chikovani has quit good experience in Defence and Security systems. She has been working in this field for 18 years.
As for Nukri Gelashvili, he was an Interior Ministry’s Academy Rector.