Georgia and Armenia sign defence agreement

Georgia and Armenia have signed a wide-ranging defence agreement aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation.

The agreement, involving strategic planning, military education, medicine and military police, would come into force next year and foresaw the sharing of experience between Georgian and Armenian defence agencies.

The deal was signed on Wednesday at the Ministry of Defence of Georgia by Defence Minister Levan Izoria and his Armenian counterpart Vigen Sargsyan and followed an official reception honouring the visiting official.

Georgia's Defence Minister Levan Izoria (L) and his Armenian counterpart Vigen Sargsyan enjoyed a specical ceremony before holding a bilateral meeting with there delegations. Photo from the Ministry of Defence of Georgia's press office.

At the meeting, where Izoria and Sargsyan were accompanied by their delegations, the pair reviewed potential ways to deepen cooperation, with a particular emphasis on educational activities.

Among specific subject discussed was Izoria's proposal to enable Armenian armed forces to undergo military training at the Sachkhere Mountain Training School in Georgia.

The pair also touched on the idea of joint participation of Georgian and Armenian troops in international peacekeeping operations.

I am pleased by the fact that service members of our countries stand side-by-side in their fight against terrorism to support international peace and stability," said Izoria while speaking about Georgia's defence cooperation witth Armenia. 

The meeting was part of Sargsyan's two-day visit to Georgia. While in Georgia the Armenian official will also visit the Defence Institution Building School, a joint Georgia-NATO project that launched in 2015.