Georgian, Azerbaijani defence ministers agree defence cooperation deal
Burchuladze and Hasanov also confirmed the willingness of their offices to deepen ties, while reviewing the format of trilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. Photo: Ministry of Defence
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A deal for defence cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijani was signed on Monday between Juansher Burchuladze and Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, the defence ministers of the two states.
The signing came as part of Burchuladze’s visit to Azerbaijan, where the officials discussed the bilateral defence cooperation and participation in international training and educational initiatives, in addition to security issues of the Black Sea region, the Ministry of Defence said.
Burchuladze and Hasanov also confirmed the willingness of their offices to deepen ties, while reviewing the format of trilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.
“Strategic-level” meetings, joint exercises and meetings between experts to further strengthen the interoperability between the countries’ defence forces were also on the agenda of the meeting.
The important programmes, carried out with the support of the United States for strengthening Georgia’s defence capabilities, were discussed on Saturday in a meeting between Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze and General Daniel Hokanson, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau of the US.
Georgia’s United States Ambassador David Zalkaliani on Friday said his country’s defence and security ties with the US had reached an “all-time high”, in comments on the meeting between the top defence officials of the two countries in the Pentagon on Thursday that came together with an announcement of additional $33 million in security aid for Georgia.
The Georgian Border Police has received a donation of border surveillance equipment, off-road vehicles and buses from the United Nations’ International Organisation for Migration, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said on Thursday.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Georgian Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze signed a memorandum of understanding on the Georgia Defense and Deterrence Enhancement (GDDE) Initiative earlier today in Tbilisi. “This initiative marks a new phase of our bilateral security cooperation, and it demonstrates the US’ commitment to supporting Georgia,” Austin said.
Issues of bilateral cooperation in security and defence of the Black Sea region were discussed between the Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze and Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, the Georgian Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday.