Defence Minister Izoria, NATO Sec-Gen Stoltenberg discuss increased NATO role in Black Sea security
Georgia's Defence Minister Levan Izoria and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meet in Brussels. Photo: Ministry of Defence of Georgia.
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Subjects of ongoing NATO-Georgia partnership and future plans of the cooperation were on the agenda as the Minister of Defence of Georgia Levan Izoria sat down with the alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels earlier today.
The Georgian official met the leadership of the alliance to talk challenges of Black Sea regional security and increased involvement of NATO in the region, while also holding meetings with his counterparts from the Netherlands, Sweden and Romania.
The Ministry of Defence of Georgia reported the "exemplary progress" within the NATO-Georgia Substantial Package and defence reforms held in Izoria's institution as some of the subjects reviewed by the meeting sides.
Now is a unique opportunity for peace in #Afghanistan & #NATO strongly supports efforts to reach a deal. Today, NATO Allies & partners reiterated their commitment to train & finance Afghan forces as they create the conditions for peace.
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) June 27, 2019
Also meeting Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller, Izoria told reporters in Brussels his talks in Brussels were a follow-up to discussions on developing cooperation between Georgia and NATO member states.
The meetings in NATO command earlier in the month saw the official go over "specific, practical plans" on "how to bring our cooperation to another level", the minister said.
While in Brussels, Izoria was also present at a meeting of ministers from NATO member and partner states for the Resolute Support peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.
“We have stepped up support for our close partners, Georgia and Ukraine, sovereign nations with the sovereign right to choose their own path”, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated during the joint meeting of the United States Congress in Washington on Wednesday.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hopes Georgia can soon be welcomed into NATO, and praises the progress achieved by the country. He also urges Russia to withdraw its forces from Georgian territories.
The NATO-Georgia Exercise 2019 has started today at the NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Center (JTEC), National Training Center Krtsanisi, near Tbilisi, Georgia. The exercise is comprised of 21 allied nations and three NATO partner nations, including Georgia as the host nation.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has stated that he will visit Georgia, which is a “unique partner of NATO”, in March 2019, during the NATO-Georgia joint military drills, in which 17 NATO member states will participate.