Georgia’s military chief holds top meetings in Afghanistan

Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze and General Phil Breedlove ; Photo by MOD
Agenda.ge, 10 Jan 2015 - 13:54, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgia’s top military official is on an official visit to Afghanistan.

Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces (GAF), Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze has met NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and Commander of United States European Command, General Phil Breedlove at Bagram Air Base.

The two Generals talked about Georgia’s contribution to the Resolute Support mission and the country’s future plans.

Following the meeting, General Breedlove visited the military servicemen of the 51st Battalion of V Infantry Brigade of the GAF.

Within the visit to Afghanistan, Major General Kapanadze also met with Commander of the Resolute Support mission, 4-star General John Campbell, as well as with Command Sergeant Major Delbert Byers and Brigadier General of Turkish Armed Forces Safak Gok.

Resolute Support mission

After the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission ended at the 2014, training, advice and assistance for the Afghan security forces is continuing through a new, follow-on NATO-led mission called the Resolute Support mission. This international mission was officially launched on January 1, 2015.

Approximately 12,000 personnel from within NATO and partner nations, including Georgia, will be deployed to participate in the mission at some point. The mission was planned to operate from one central hub in Kabul at the Bagram Air Base and four satelite stations in Mazar-e Sharif, Herat, Kandahar and Laghman.

Key functions of the mission include:

  • Supporting planning, programming and budgeting;
  • Assuring transparency, accountability and oversight;
  • Supporting the adherence to the principles of rule of law and good governance; and
  • Supporting the establishment and sustainment of such processes as force generation, recruiting, training, managing and development of personnel.