New wave of Georgian soldiers leaves for NATO peace mission in Afghanistan
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Georgia’s Defence Ministry has held a farewell ceremony for Georgian soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Brigade of the 31st Battalion who are leaving for Afghanistan on a peacekeeping mission.
The soldiers will replace the 2nd Infantry Brigade of the 23rd Battalion of the Georgian Armed Forces, whose six-month term in the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan has come to an end.
Head of Georgia’s General Staff General-Major Vladimer Chachibaia and the US Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly addressed the soldiers.
US Ambassador Ian Kelly praised Georgian soldiers. Photo by Ministry of Defence press office.
They wished the Georgian servicemen a successful mission and a safe return to their home country.
Ambassador Kelly stressed the professionalism of Georgian soldiers and once again reiterated the US’s continued support for Georgia.
Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Brigade will be tasked to ensure the security of the Bagram aviation base.
Georgian soldiers will stay in Afghanistan for six months. Photo by Ministry of Defence press office.
- Georgia is the largest non-NATO contributor to the Resolute Support mission with 885 troops.
- The Resolute Support mission was a follow-on task from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission, to which Georgia contributed about 750 troops.
Georgia has lost 32 soldiers within the NATO peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan.
One hundred Georgian soldiers are on track to join the NATO Response Force (NRF) as they have already successfully passed the initial level of training.
A second Georgian military unit has moved one step closer to becoming part of an elite NATO rapid reaction force, tasked to respond to security threats to the Alliance’s member states at a moment’s notice.
Georgia has joined a NATO rapid reaction force made up of highly trained and technologically advanced multinational troops, tasked to defend any ally and deploy anywhere in the world to combat threats.
A Georgian military unit has undergone more than a year of intensive training and is now ready to join the.NATO Response Force (NRF).
For the first time in the history of Georgia-NATO cooperation, the Georgian capital Tbilisi is hosting an annual conference of the NATO Operational Capability Concept Evaluation and Feedback Programme (OCC E&F).
NATO has denounced Russia’s attempts to intimidate its neighbouring countries who aspire to have closer ties with the Alliance, including Georgia.
Georgia and Ukraine "sooner or later" can become member states of NATO, but at present they should focus on reforms, says NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Georgia is celebrating the homecoming of its soldiers from a peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan after the completion of a seven-month tour. Another unit of the Georgian Armed Forces has successfully ended their deployment within the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.