Georgian Defence Minister rejects opposition criticism on absence from NATO exercise by pointing to “record number” of drills
In his interview with Imedi TV channel, Burchuladze explained their absence from the manoeuvres by saying the country’s partners had advised the Ministry that involvement in the drills would involve “several millions” in logistics expenses alone, a requirement he said was deemed “unfeasible”. Photo via Defence Ministry
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Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze on Friday rejected the criticism by the domestic opposition about the absence of the Georgian Defence Forces from an ongoing NATO exercise by highlighting the “record number” of six international manoeuvres involving the GDF in 2022 and about 20 set to feature troops from the country this year.
Burchuladze was commenting after Teona Akubardia, an MP from the opposition Lelo party, earlier this month said Georgian servicemembers’ non-involvement in Defender - a major multinational exercise launched by NATO in late April and scheduled to run until June 23 - was a “gift to the Kremlin and damaging to our defence capabilities”, and claimed the absence from the drills demonstrated the Government’s “priorities”.
The manoeuvres are featuring over 7,800 United States servicemembers and 15,000 troops from more than 20 allied and partner nations, but not the Georgian Defence Forces.
In his interview with Imedi TV channel, Burchuladze explained their absence from the manoeuvres by saying the country’s partners had advised the Ministry that involvement in the drills would involve “several millions” in logistics expenses alone, a requirement he said was deemed “unfeasible”.
The Minister added the funds that would have been expended in participation in Defender were being used on “social matters [for servicemembers], armament and other important directions”.
In other comments on the topic, Burchuladze also highlighted the GDF’s participation in two exercises in Germany and Turkey this year, as well as their scheduled involvement in 20 manoeuvres in 2023, and the country’s hosting of six drills last year.
He also pointed to Georgia’s contribution to international peacekeeping missions, including in NATO-led involvements in Afghanistan and the European Union Training Mission in the Central African Republic.
The Georgian Defence Ministry on Tuesday issued a statement regarding the question of participation of the country’s Defence Forces in the multinational exercise Defender 2023 and said the “biassed” information spread by some media outlets and individuals was “another provocation” towards the Ministry.
The United States Embassy in Georgia on Wednesday issued a statement on military cooperation between the two states in 2023 and stressed US-Georgia continued “to do more across a broad range of cooperative military activities”.
Irakli Beraia, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Defence and Security Committee, on Tuesday called “anti-state, misinforming and shameful” the claim by Teona Akubardia, an MP from the opposition Lelo party, who earlier during the day said the Georgian Defence Forces’ non-involvement in NATO exercises was a “gift to the Kremlin and damaging to our defence capabilities”.
Julianne Smith, the United States Ambassador to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, hailed Georgia’s “excellent and very close” relationship with the alliance and highlighted the country as NATO’s one of the “closest partners”, in an interview with Imedi TV on Friday.