Georgian Defence Minister meets with NATO counterparts at Brussels headquarters
Tweet 
Share
Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria met with his Romanian and Lithuanian counterparts ahead of the NATO-Georgia Commission meeting scheduled for later today.
At the NATO-Georgia Commission meeting held under the NATO Defence Ministerial, the ministers will assess the security situation in Georgia and review the government’s ongoing reforms.
Georgia’s role in Black Sea security as an aspiring NATO member was among the issues Izoria discussed with the Romanian Defence Minister Gabriel-Beniamin Les yesterday.
Izoria said Georgia’s practical engagement in Black Sea security is of great importance for the country. He said although his country already participates in strategic discussions, now it is time for its practical engagement.
At a meeting of #LTU & #GEO DefMin, #Lithuania reaffirmed support to Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration goals @LitdelNATO@ModGOvGEpic.twitter.com/H2NlWz77ok
— Lithuanian_MoD (@Lithuanian_MoD) 15 February 2017
The Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP) was among the issues Izoria discussed with the Lithuanian Defence Minister Raimundas Karoblis.
The SNGP is a set of initiatives aimed at strengthening Georgia’s defence capabilities and developing closer security cooperation and interoperability with NATO members.
Karoblis expressed his readiness to contribute to strengthening the defence capacity of the Georgian Armed Forces (GAF).
Izoria will hold bilateral meetings with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Kenneth Handelman and defence ministers of Turkey, the United Kingdom and Latvia later today.
MoD Levan #Izoria is in Brussels to attend #NATO-#Georgia Commission in the framework of NATO Defence Ministerial Stay tuned!#DefMinhttps://t.co/a1IhUhHAam
— MOD Georgia (@ModGovGe) 15 February 2017
Defence ministers of NATO began preparations with two-days of talks in Brussels yesterday, which will focus on ensuring NATO’s strength and flexibility in the face of evolving challenges.
Minister Izoria said Georgia, as the only non-NATO member country, has "an honour” to present its ongoing reforms, count on support from the NATO member states and demonstrate its political readiness and motivation to receive NATO membership .
At yesterday’s press conference, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said "we have established comprehensive packages in support of Georgia and Ukraine”.
Defence is not just about what we do at home. It is as much about what happens beyond our borders. So we have agreed to strengthen our contributions to projecting stability”, he said.
Defence Ministers meet to discuss #NATO's adaptation https://t.co/NDYParmtNO#DefMinpic.twitter.com/V5xvvHDoml
— NATO (@NATO) 15 February 2017
Per the official NATO website, "NATO remains strongly committed to helping Georgia improve its defence capabilities and advance on its path towards NATO membership”.
NATO defence ministers and high-ranking Georgian officials are preparing for a NATO-Georgia Commission meeting scheduled for tomorrow in Brussels.
Top US commander in Afghanistan Army General John Nicholson thanked Georgia’s contribution to military efforts in Afghanistan yesterday as a non-NATO member state.
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze says that 2017 will be a very active year for deepening NATO-Georgia relations.
Foreign diplomats accredited to Georgia are supporting the reforms being carried out at the Defence Ministry.
A meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission on the ministerial defense level has just come to a conclusion in Brussels, where Georgia’s security situation was reviewed and discussed at length.
Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria summarised yesterday’s NATO-Georgia Commission meeting as "very successful”.
A high-ranking NATO delegation headed by the chairman of its Military Committee is on an official visit to Georgia to discuss cooperation between the country and the alliance.
Chairperson of NATO Military Committee Petr Pavel said the alliance wants to assist Georgia in establishing "effective and sustainable armed forces”.
100 Georgian soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Brigade are leaving for Afghanistan.
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).