Irakli Chikovani, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party and the candidate for the position of the Defence Minister, on Monday highlighted the “priority” of enhancing international partnerships for the development of the nation's Defence Forces in his address to Parliamentary committees.
Chikovani reaffirmed the commitment to “sustained engagement” with NATO, the European Union, the United States - as “the key strategic partner” of Georgia - as well as other regional and international partners through both bilateral and multilateral channels, and also pointed to the “genuine role” of political and practical support from major allies.
He also underscored Georgia's “steady progress” towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration, citing the “milestone” of the EU membership candidate status being granted to the country in December as a “testament” to this trajectory.
The official also highlighted initiatives aimed at reinforcing national defence and deterrence capabilities, aimed at enhancing territorial defence and resilience, alignment with NATO standards, implementation of institutional reforms and expedition of the modernisation of the Defence Forces.
He also stressed the importance of fostering partnerships within the region, particularly highlighting the tripartite cooperation with Azerbaijan and Turkey, and announced Georgia's intention to host a tripartite defence ministerial later this year.