Top Turkish military official discusses regional security in Georgia

Regional security was high on the agenda at today’s meeting between General Staff of the Republic of Turkey General Necdet Ozel and Georgia’s Defence Minister Irakli Alasania.

The two officials met in Tbilisi today to discuss issues the state of the region’s security, as well as deepening the relationship and level of cooperation between Turkey and Georgia.

General Ozel is on a two-day official trip to Georgia.

At the meeting Alasania expressed his desire for Turkey’s maximum involvement in the implementation of the NATO-Georgia Substantive Package, noted the press office of Georgia’s Defence Ministry.

"[The visit of Turkey’s] Chief of General Staff demonstrates an intensive cooperation of the two countries on military issues for the past 20 years. I would like to emphasize that a strategic partnership between the two countries is becoming more solid as time goes on,” Alasania said.

He also announced that there were plans for Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan to hold joint military trainings and develop combined measures to protect critical and strategic infrastructure that connected the three partner countries.

"Besides that we have also focused on the threats to which we all must react through combined efforts,” Alasania said.

He thanked the Turkish side for its political support of Georgia’s NATO aspirations and its contribution to the development of Georgia’s Armed Forces (GAF).

Meanwhile, the Chief of General Staff of the GAF Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze has also hosted his Turkish counterpart today.

After meeting Alasania, General Ozel laid a wreath on the memorial of heroes fallen in the fight for the territorial integrity of Georgia.

During his visit General Ozel is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili.