Minister: Georgian troops will stay in Afghanistan after 2017
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Georgian troops will continue to serve in Afghanistan in a NATO-led peacekeeping mission after 2017.
This was confirmed after a telephone conversation between Georgia’s Minister of Defence Tinatin Khidasheli and United States (US) Deputy Secretary of Defence Robert Work late yesterday.
Georgia’s stance follows in the footsteps of its American partners; one day after US President Barack Obama announced US soldiers would remain in Afghanistan after his presidential term expired in 2017.
Georgia – the largest non-NATO contributor to the Resolute Support mission with 885 troops – would continue serving alongside its US allies, Minister Khidasheli said.
The Resolute Support mission was a follow-on task from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission, to which Georgia contributed about 750 troops.
We confirmed our readiness to stay with the US troops in Afghanistan and continue our mission in terms of protecting international peace,” Khidasheli said. She added Georgia had "confirmed many times that it is a devoted partner for defending international peace and security”.
After speaking with her US counterpart last night Khidasheli said the US thanked Georgia for its valuable contribution to promoting global safety.
He thanked Georgia for its merit and said his government will continue to support Georgia in upgrading its defence capabilities,” said Khidasheli in a Minsitry of Defence statement.
The Resolute Support mission is a NATO-led task consisting of about 12,000 personnel from NATO and partner nations. The mission operated from a central hub in Kabul at the Bagram Air Base, where the Georgian troops are stationed, as well as four satellite camps. Currently 14 partner countries, including Georgia, are contributing to the mission, said NATO.
Following the completion of the ISAF mission at the end of 2014, the Resolute Support mission launched on January 1, 2015 to provide further training, advice and assistance for the Afghan security forces and institutions. Georgia joined the ISAF mission in 2004.
Yesterday President Obama said 5,000 US troops would remain in Afghanistan, completing their duties within the Resolute Support mission following his exit from office in 2017. Obama had originally planned to pull out all but a small, embassy-based US military presence by the end of next year, a timeline coinciding with the final weeks of his presidency, but this was revised.
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