Georgia’s Defence Minister will spend a week in military base

Georgia’s Defence Minister Tinatin Khidasheli will live on a military base alongside the country’s servicemen for a week so she can learn about what life is like for Georgian soldiers.

"The Minister wants to see what conditions our soldiers live in,” the Defence Ministry press service told local media yesterday.

Khidasheli will spend a day at different military bases across the country. She will participate in morning exercises and have a soldier's meal every day for a week.

The Minister will visit military bases in Batumi, Senaki, Khoni, Gori, Sachkhere and Kutaisi – all in western and central Georgia. A number of events were scheduled during her visits, including sporting competitions and lectures on security issues.

Earlier on Friday, Khidasheli met with heads of Georgia's higher education institutions and discussed with them what programs and public lectures universities could offer to military servicemen. Khidasheli believed soldiers should be not only "well-trained" but "well-educated" too. 

Khidasheli, who is Georgia’s first female defence minister, was appointed to the role in May 2015.