Netherlands supports reform of Georgia military aviation

Georgia’s Minister of Defence Tinatin Khidasheli said a Dutch team of experts would soon come to Georgia to help the country reforms its military aviation. Photo by N.Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Agenda.ge, 23 Mar 2016 - 16:06, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgia is warmly anticipating a visit from a group of experts from the Netherlands, who are coming to Georgia to help the country reform its military aviation.

Georgia’s Minister of Defence Tinatin Khidasheli said the Dutch experts would come to Georgia "very soon” and their support would be invaluable to empower Georgia’s military aviation direction. 

Her statement comes after she met the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Georgia Jos Douma today. 

Khidasheli highlighted the Netherlands support would be within the NATO- Georgia Substantial Package.

The Netherlands was one of the countries that has refrained from participating in the NATO-Georgia deal but we can loudly and clearly say the Ambassador today confirmed that the Kingdom of the Netherlands will assist us in aviation reforms – to strengthen the aviation component of the NATO-Georgia Substantial Package,” Khidasheli said. 

Georgia’s Minister of Defence Tinatin Khidasheli met Ambassador of Netherlands to Georgia Jos Douma. Photo by Georgia’s Defence Ministry. 

The Minister said she held several meetings with her Dutch counterpart in London a week ago, where the Netherlands military officials announced their country would provide assistance to Georgia. 

Meanwhile last week Minister Khidasheli announced a team of French experts had arrived in Georgia to oversee the air defence portion of the NATO-Georgia Substantial Package.

Soon we’ll receive the Dutch team who will help us in the aviation component [of the deal]. Very effective activities are planned in these two directions in order to strengthen the Georgian Armed Forces with the assistant of our partners,” Khidasheli said.

Also today Georgia’s Defence Minister and Ambassador Douma discussed the existing security environment in Georgia and in the wider region.