Georgia adopts document on strategic defence development for 2017-2020

The Georgian government has approved the Strategic Defence Review 2017-2020 – the guideline document for the Ministry of Defence (MOD) that identifies main directions for the development of the MOD and Georgian Armed Forces (GAF) over the next three years and aims to enhance the GAF’s capabilities.

According to the document, Russia’s illegal military treaties with Georgia’s occupied regions, in addition to the increasing militarisation process of these regions and the fact that international peacekeepers have been unable to reach this areas "increases the risk of the restoration of military aggression”.

The document says that the 2008 Russian war on Georgia, the Russian occupation of Georgian regions and the deployment of Russian troops on Georgian land has significantly worsened the country’s security.

Besides, according to the document, such a situation in the breakaway regions creates a good environment for spreading transnational and organised crime.

The Strategic Defence Review stresses that the Kremlin’s usage of economic levers and soft power instruments against the national interests of a foreign country still remain as a security challenge for Georgia.

The document says that a number of factors have a negative effect on the region and Georgia as well. These factors are:

• Recent unstable security situation in the Black Sea region
• Annexation of the Crimea and the developments in the east of Ukraine
• Instability in the northern Caucasus and the unsettled conflict of Karabakh

On wider scale, the document sees globalisation, climate change, migration processes, international terrorism, distribution of weapons of mass destruction and cyber threats as factors affecting Georgia’s security.

Moreover, the document notes that Russia’s increasing international ambitions enlarge the confrontation between Russia and the West, which challenges not only European but Georgian security too.

Strategic Defence Review 2017-2020 identifies development directions for the MOD and GAF for 2017 - 2020. Its recommendations are based on evaluation of current activities and analysis provides guidance for further development of the GAF.