Georgian soldiers leave for Afghanistan with war equipment made in Georgia
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One hundred Georgian soldiers from the 11th battalion of the 1st Infantry brigade and 21st battalion from the 2nd Infantry Brigade have left for the NATO peace mission in Afghanistan equipped with bulletproof vests and armor helmets made in Georgia by the State Military Scientific-Technical Center Delta.
The war equipment is in full line with NATO standards and the cost of the product, paid for by the Defence Ministry of Georgia, is more than $2 million.
This is the first time Georgian soldiers left for the NATO peace mission with war equipment made in Georgia.
Georgian defence officials and the acting US ambassador to Georgia praised the Georgian soldiers’ role in the NATO Resolute Support Mission.
Acting US Ambassador to Georgia Elizabeth Rood praised Georgia's role in peace missions. Photo: Ministry of Defence press office.
Today, we send off Georgia's seventh deployment of soldiers to NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. The United States has worked with Georgia in Afghanistan for the past eight years. We know about the bravery and reliability of Georgia's soldiers on the battlefield.
Your valor, sacrifice, and honor protect peace around the world. We are in your debt. You work as ambassadors for peace far away from your families. We will never take your service for granted. We are truly brothers- and sisters-in-arms.
It is with sincere admiration for Georgia that I wish you God's speed during your deployment and a safe return to your proud and beautiful homeland,” an acting US Ambassador to Georgia Elizabeth Rood stated.
The Georgian soldiers will spend months in Afghanistan.
Georgia is the largest non-NATO contributor to the Resolute Support mission with 885 troops.
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.
"You are the face, identity and dignity of the Georgian state,” said Georgia’s Minister of Defence Tinatin Khidasheli as she addressed a group of servicemen who are today leaving for Afghanistan to fight for international peace.
Georgian troops will continue to serve in Afghanistan in a NATO-led peacekeeping mission after 2017.
Georgian soldiers are officially engaged in the Resolute Support (RS) mission in Afghanistan.
Georgia’s defence officials and military commanders hosted Lieutenant General Jan Broeks, Director General of the NATO International Military Staff this week, for talks and meetings on cooperation between the alliance and the country.
The forum was opened by PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikheil Janelidze. President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili and Parliamentary Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze also provided a keynote address at the forum, as well as the US Assistant Secretary Aaron Wess Mitchell and NATO’s Assistant Secretary General Tacan Ildem.
The American general will attend the three year long Georgian Defence Readiness Program launch ceremony with the Defence Minister and also will participate in the opening of the Combat Training Center at the Vaziani military base.
A military base in Afghanistan’s north came under shelling during a visit of the Minister of Defence of Georgia Levan Izoria earlier today, with no casualties reported.
Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria and Chief of General Staff Vladimer Chachibaia have met the Commander of the US Forces in Afghanistan and the Resolute Support Mission John Nicholson to discuss the cooperation between US and Georgia in the field of defence.
A car accident on Vaziani military base has claimed the life of one soldier and injured two others. The injured have been sent to a military hospital in Gori and an investigation into the incident launched.
A car accident on Vaziani military base has claimed the life of one soldier and injured two others. The injured have been sent to a military hospital in Gori and an investigation into the incident launched.
Georgian Vice Colonel Irakli Chitanava, who commands the 1st Infantry Brigade of the 11th battalion of the Georgian Armed Forces (GAF) in Afghanistan, has awarded several American soldiers with the order of General Kvinitadze.
A new wave of over 100 Georgian soldiers will soon leave for a NATO peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan for seven months, announces the Ministry of Defence of Georgia.
The Georgian government has gifted a flat to Senior Lieutenant Iveri Buadze, who received severe injuries during the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan back in 2017, after he was injured during a suicide attack while on duty.
Georgian Defence Minister Irakli Garibashvili has met with Georgian soldiers in Hohenfels, Germany, where they are undergoing mandatory training before joining the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.