NATO Military Committee chairman urges Russia to withdraw troops from Georgia's occupied territories
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach speaks at the meeting of NATO Military Committee in Tbilisi, where he is flanked by Levan Izoria, the Minister of Defence of Georgia. Photo: Ministry of Defence of Georgia's press office.
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The Chairman of the NATO Military Committee has urged Russia to withdraw its troops from Georgia's occupied regions of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia, as the committee opened its meeting in Tbilisi earlier today.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach spoke at the meeting of the body that advises NATO on military matters, as he was joined by Minister of Defence of Georgia Levan Izoria and high-ranking officials and military commanders at the event.
Peach said the visit of the committee was a demonstration of support for Georgia and its territorial integrity, as the two regions are under occupation by the Russian military.
The visiting commander also acknowledged Georgia's contributions to the ongoing NATO effort in Afghanistan, noting "professionalism" and "dedication" of peacekeepers from the country in the Resolute Support mission.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach and the NATO Military Committee arrive in Tbilisi:
In his address, Izoria said Georgia was "the only South Caucasus country" with aspirations to join NATO that enjoyed a cooperation with the alliance that was "close" and "unique" in scale.
Regional security issues, including political and military circumstances in Black Sea, are being discussed by visiting NATO officials spanning over two days.
Topics concerning Tskhinvali and Abkhazia are also on the agenda, while Peach and his team are presented information on ongoing defence reforms and collaborative NATO-Georgia projects in the country.
Chief of Defence Forces of Georgia Major General Vladimer Chachibaia (left) welcomes NATO Military Committee Chairman Peach at the Tbilisi International Airport. Photo: Ministry of Defence of Georgia's press office.
The Military Committee's plans include a visit to the Vaziani Training Area and its Combat Training Centre, in addition to learning about the Georgia Defence Readiness Programme run in partnership with United States.
Further visits fature a trip to the Joint Training and Evaluation Centre and observation of the ongoing NATO-Georgia Exercise, involving hundreds of troops from the alliance's member and partner states between March 18-29.
The Military Committee of NATO is "primary source of military advice to the North Atlantic Council and the Nuclear Planning Group", giving advice on strategic direction and measures for common defence of the organisation.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, will be in Georgia this week, as high-ranking leaders of the alliance continue their official visits to the country.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has hosted NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the presidential residency in Tbilisi earlier today.
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 Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will travel to Tbilisi on March 24-25. Stoltenberg will meet with President Salome Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze, Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze and other high-level officials.
Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani is paying a visit to Brussels, where he met with NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller at NATO headquarters today. He also spoke at a meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has stated that ‘irresponsible political parties’ are making statements to the effect that Georgia is no longer on the agenda of European countries.
Officials and military commanders from Georgia and NATO converged to the a bilateral training venue outside Tbilisi to reaffirm common values and strategic partnership on the backdrop of the ongoing NATO-Georgia Exercise in the country.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met with de facto Foreign Minister Daur Kove of Georgia’s occupied region of Abkhazia to discuss security issues in the South Caucasus, the Russian Foreign Ministry reports.
Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani will travel to the United States on April 3-4. In Washington DC Minister Zalkaliani will join the events on the sidelines of the NATO Foreign Ministerial dedicated to the seventieth anniversary of the Alliance.
Starting from 2020 Georgia will join the NATO Multinational Military Policy Battalion, composed of military police units of Croatia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia.
The Battalion, or its elements, were allowed to be deployed from 2013 to any area of NATO operations where the need arises for coordinated multi-national police activities.
The NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Centre (JTEC) has marked three years anniversary since its foundation.
Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria has said that NATO-Georgia cooperation is becoming tighter and more extensive. His comment comes after he visited the NATO Allied Joint Force Command center in Naples, Italy last week.
Head of Georgian Defence Forces Major General Vladimer Chachibaia joined senior NATO military commanders at the alliance’s 182nd Military Committee meeting in Brussels on January 14-15. Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach said the Chiefs of Defence recognised “Georgia’s significant and enduring contribution to NATO’s operations and missions”.
Russian occupation forces are undergoing military training in Georgia’s occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), reports RFE/RL.
Georgia will this week host the NATO Military Committee for the fourth time, with the highest military body of the Alliance set to discuss regional challenges and transformation of the Georgian Defence Forces with the hosts.
‘Russia’s actions are too aggressive towards its neighbours – Ukraine and Georgia”, NATO Deputy Secretary General for Defense and Police, Patrick Turner, said at a meeting of the Bucharest Nine (B9) Foreign Ministers in Tallinn on October 27.