First NATO-Georgia joint multinational brigade-level military exercise starts
Tweet 
Share
For the next 10 days a Georgian military training centre located just outside capital Tbilisi is hosting the NATO-Georgia Exercise 2016 in a "landmark" occasion that will strengthen Georgia-NATO relations.
This will be the first NATO-Georgia joint multinational brigade-level, Computer Assisted, Command Post exercise, which is included in NATO exercises list.
Thirteen NATO allied member states and two partners are providing officers to participate in the November 10-20 exercise at the Krtsanisi National Training Centre, including Turkey, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belgium, Slovenia, United Kingdom, United States, Ukraine and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Today Georgia's Ministry of Defence spoke about the significance of the exercises.
The NATO-Georgia Exercise 2016 is a landmark exercise for Georgia and a significant milestone in strengthening NATO-Georgia military cooperation,” Georgia’s Ministry of Defence said.
The exercise will test the interoperability of Georgian, allied and partner forces, as well as command and control capabilities.
This will be the second NATO-Georgia exercise to take place through the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP) framework - a series of 13 defence capacity building measures agreed between Georgia and NATO at the Wales Summit in 2014.
NATO-Georgia Exercise starting today, to share knowledge and expertise. Fictional scenario, but real cooperation.
— James Appathurai (@JamesAppathurai) November 10, 2016
NATO’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, James Appathurai welcomed the beginning of the exercises today. He stressed the training exercises were "one more milestone in NATO-Georgia's long and deep cooperation”.
On his official Facebook page Appathurai said the the exercise also recognised "Georgia’s devoutness to strong defence, NATO operations and international security”.
Military personnel from six countries are joining forces in this year's Agile Spirit defence exercise in Georgia, which launched earlier today at the Orpolo firing range in the country's south.
Military officials from all over the world are in Georgia to participate in a multinational military exercise run by the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO).
Georgian troops are rubbing shoulders and learning from their American and Eastern European allies in the annual military drills Agile Spirit 2016, currently taking place in Georgia.
"Allies are determined to increase and intensify the level of NATO’s support for Georgia,” says Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "As an aspirant country, Georgia has all the practical tools to prepare for NATO membership."
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims the joint military exercises conducted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Georgia create a "serious threat” to regional stability and peace.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has condemned Russia's opinion of NATO's multi-national military training; he says what NATO does is "defensive” and consequently, the NATO-Georgia joint military exercises pose no threat to anyone.
Today President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelahsvili and Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili attended North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)-Georgia joint, multi-national military exercise near capital Tbilisi.
A 10-day defence exercise between Georgia and its partner countries including NATO member states has ended with a special ceremony honouring participants of the intensive joint drills.
Georgian service members are part of the Spring Storm 2017 international defence drills hosted by Estonia and featuring troops from over a dozen European and North American nations.
Georgian military personnel have gone through joint training at the Vaziani air field with US instructors.
Germany’s Ambassador to NATO Hans-Dieter Lucas has signed a decree which envisages the allocation of €500,000 for certain projects of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Substantial Package (SNGP).
Today Georgia marks the 30th anniversary of the creation of its armed forces. The day is generally marked on April 30. However, due to Red Friday tomorrow, which is a day-off, the day was marked today.