Georgian Defence Minister, NATO Core Team leader discuss Substantial Package

Implementation of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package has been in focus of today’s meeting between Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria and new leader of the NATO Core Team Stephan Annghoefer.

The pair met in Tbilisi earlier this afternoon.

The Defence Ministry said in a press release following the meeting that the officials discussed the details of future cooperation.

Georgian, NATO officials meet in Tbilisi. Photo: MOD of Georgia.

Izoria said that NATO-Georgia cooperation has registered immense progress in two directions: Operation of the NATO-Georgian Joint Training and Evaluation Center and the Defence Institution Building School.

"Our cooperation will intensify in the future in these two directions; as for other initiatives within the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, they will be synchronised and we will do our best to achieve the ultimate result – Georgia’s integration into NATO”, Izoria said.

NATO introduced its "substantial package” to Georgia in 2014. Along with boosting Georgia's defence capabilities and NATO interoperability, the package is to advance Georgia on its track to become NATO member state.

Georgia has announced that currently one of its key priorities is to effectively implement, with the direct involvement and significant support of the NATO member states, all elements envisaged by the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package.

Two years ago, NATO Core Team was established within the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, which coordinates and supervises the effective implementation process of existing initiatives envisaged by the Package.