Department of State: Georgia remained strong US security partner in 2019
With its country reports the US Deportment of States provides a full and complete annual report on terrorism to Congress. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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The US Department of State said in its recent report on terrorism that in 2019 Georgia, ‘a longstanding member’ of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, ‘continued its robust engagement’ with the US across a range of counterterrorism-related issues.
Georgia participated in numerous bilateral counterterrorism (CT) exercises and trainings with the United States and remained a strong US security partner”, the report says.
It also notes that although there were no terrorist incidents in Georgia in 2019, the country is generally capable of detecting, deterring and responding to terrorism incidents.
.@StateDeptCT released the annual Country Reports on Terrorism, detailing key developments in 2019 in the global fight against ISIS, al-Qa'ida, Iranian proxies, and other international terrorist groups. Read more: https://t.co/8zp8ZabXxB
— Department of State (@StateDept) June 24, 2020
The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), which is a lead agency for terrorism-related incidents and investigations is generally 'well equipped and well trained', while its counterterrorism unit 'continues to receive regular training and equipment'.
In January, recognising the need for a whole-of-government response to the challenges of terrorism, the Georgian government approved the National Strategy of Georgia on the Fight Against Terrorism 2019-2021 with an accompanying action plan ", the report reads.
It also notes that the SSSG-chaired Permanent Interagency Commission is responsible for oversight of the strategy and action plan and providing annual status reports on implementation.
Meanwhile, Georgia ‘cooperates closely’ with NATO, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the Organisation of Black Sea Economic Cooperation and the Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova (GUAM) Organisation for Democracy and Economic Development.
The country is actively engaged on counterterrorism issues at the international, regional and bilateral levels. In 2019 Georgia continued to improve its border, maritime and aviation security, and continued its efforts to counter violent extremism.
The United States continues to support the State Security Service of Georgia, donating equipment to help the State Security Service of Georgia to identify explosives and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear response.
For the first time in the history of the Georgian Defence Forces, recruits enrolled in the Basic Combat Training (BCT) course will receive a salary of 500 GEL, announces the Ministry of Defence of Georgia.
USS Porter, a United States Navy destroyer, is on its third visit to Georgia's Black Sea port city Batumi, as the ship's docking on Tuesday was welcomed by Georgian officials and the US Embassy in the country.
The Georgian government has adopted a National Counterterrorism Strategy. The strategy was developed by a permanent Interagency Commission comprised of different state authorities and chaired by the State Security Service.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that the most recent report on terrorism by the US Department of State has ‘highly praised’ the activities of Georgian law enforcement and security agencies, adding that US-Georgia cooperation in the security field should become ‘more and more effective.’
Georgian border guards have been provided with 20 modern Argo all-terrain vehicles (ATV) thanks to financial support from the US Defense and Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).
‘Georgia, located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, is a small but open market that derives benefits from international trade, tourism, and transportation’, the US State Department reported earlier today in its 2020 Investment Climate Statement.
The United States Department of State's 2021 Country Report on Terrorism on Tuesday said Georgia had continued its “robust engagement” on counterterrorism issues throughout that year and remained a “strong” security partner for the United States.