Georgian, US defence ministers review strategic cooperation in Washington
The meeting highlighted Georgia's “important role” in the security architecture of the Black Sea region and in the “promotion of peace and stability” in the South Caucasus region. Photo: US DOD
Tweet 
Share
Strategic cooperation between Georgia and the United States in defence and security was discussed on Thursday in a meeting between the Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze and his American counterpart Lloyd Austin.
Meeting Austin as part of his visit to Washington, Burchuladze noted the Georgian Government and citizens attached “great importance” to the partnership, which he said was “of the utmost importance” for strengthening the country’s “defence and deterrence capabilities, and peaceful and stable development”, the Georgian Defence Ministry said.
The Georgian Minister added the ties were based on “common values and interests”, and thanked the US Government for the “most important strategic, successful and growing cooperation”, which he said served to “increase Georgia's defence capability and strengthen the country's stability”.
In their discussion, the officials also reviewed global and regional security challenges, focusing on the illegal occupation of the territories of Georgia and Ukraine by Russia, as well as the latter’s actions undermining the rules-based international order.
MoD Juansher Burchuladze met w/ @SecDef Lloyd Austin in the ????????
— MOD Georgia (@ModGovGe) February 10, 2023
Counterparts discussed:
US-Geo strategic partnership in defence and security field
Georgia's role in #BlackSea security
???????? ???????? partnership is based on shared values & interests pic.twitter.com/5ZopawYWcR
The meeting highlighted Georgia's “important role” in the security architecture of the Black Sea region and in the “promotion of peace and stability” in the South Caucasus region.
The discussion also noted the “significant contribution” of Georgian peacekeeping forces to global security in international missions.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday said the Georgian Government had stated “very clearly” and “from the beginning” its position on support for Ukraine “in everything” except transfer of weapons to the country amid its defence from the ongoing Russian invasion.
Kelly Degnan, the United States Ambassador to Georgia, on Thursday said the Georgian Government had complied with financial sanctions imposed by the international community on Russia following the latter’s invasion of Ukraine “from the very beginning”.
The “difficult” situation in the Russian-occupied territories of Georgia amid the war in Ukraine and the security situation in the Black Sea region were discussed on Monday in a meeting between David Zalkaliani, the Georgian Ambassador to the United States and Louis Bono, the Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations of the US Department of State.
Kelly Degnan, the United States Ambassador to Georgia, on Monday said Georgia had “done many things” in support of Ukraine in the ongoing Russian invasion of the country, particularly noting the humanitarian dimension of the assistance provided by Georgian authorities.
United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Thursday said his country “deeply appreciated” Georgia's “outsized effect” on security and stability in the South Caucasus region and around the world.
Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze on Thursday hailed the country’s strategic partnership with the United States as “essential for Georgia's defence, deterrence and peaceful and stable development”.
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 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.
Ties between Georgia and Korea were discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between the Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and members of the Georgia-Korea Friendship Group of the National Assembly of Korea.
General Christopher Cavoli, the Commander of the United States European Command, hosted Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze at his residence in Brussels to discuss cooperation between the two states, the Georgian Ministry said on Thursday.
A Georgian delegation participated in the Inter-Parliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union for the first time this week.