Georgia-NATO relations at heart of Independence Day celebrations

Today's celebrations of Georgia's Independence Day are truly historic.

For the first time ever Georgia’s NATO soldiers lined up alongside their foreign allies and took part in today’s Independence Day celebrations.

This morning when the May 26 celebratory program launched in central Tbilisi's Freedom Square, service members of the Alpha Company of the 12th Infantry Battalion, IV Mechanised Brigade of the Georgian Armed Forces (GAF) got into formation to participate in an official march.

Service members from US Army units photographed in formation during Georgia's Independence Day celebrations on Freedom Square in Tbilisi. Photo from the Office of the Prime Minister of Georgia/Facebook.

Several days ago the unit was certified for the NATO Response Force (NRF), the Alliance's rapid response international defence and security unit, after successfully completing a range of field exercises.

The presence of the country's first NATO-compatible unit at today’s celebration was underscored by Georgia’s Minister of Defence Tinatin Khidasheli in her welcoming speech:

Today, for the first time, here on Freedom Square stands a Georgian Company-sized unit of NATO. This is one of the most historic moments, which will eventually see us return to our natural place – in the European family and the Euro-Atlantic family," said Khidasheli.

Soldiers of the Alpha Company proudly wore NRF badges on their uniforms at today’s parade, which also involved troops from NATO member states.

Service members of the United States (US) Army 173rd Airborne Brigade and 1st Armour Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division marched into Freedom Square at the beginning of today’s official program:

Now: @173rdAbnBde & @1ABCT_3ID join #Georgia 25th #IndependenceDay celebrations. #NoblePartner#StrongEurope#May26pic.twitter.com/JYvCOVqg0w

— U.S. Army Europe (@USArmyEurope) 26 May 2016

This was the second year NATO soldiers took part in official Independence Day celebrations in capital Tbilisi.

However for the first time in Georgia the US Army's iconic Abrams main battle tanks were exhibited at Freedom Square following the conclusion of the joint defence exercise Noble Partner 2016, which involved troops from Georgia, the US and the United Kingdom from May 11-24.

The exercises were held simultaneously with the demonstration training of the Joint Training and Evaluation Centre (JTEC), an initiative launched by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Georgia in 2015.

The JTEC exercise, held at Camp Norio range on May 24, prompted NATO to release a special video celebrating "a new milestone" in Georgia-NATO relations.

The full program of today’s events marking the 25th anniversary of Georgia's independence in Tbilisi and the regions can be viewed here.