Discussion was held on the cooperation between Lithuania and Georgia in the field of defense
On January 22 Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Georgia, Andrius Kalindra and Defense Attaché of the Republic of Lithuania LTC. Nerijus Tamošaitis held a meeting with the Minister of Defense of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili, during which the current bilateral military cooperation, possible prospective areas of cooperation, and the security situation in the region were discussed.
Ambassador A. Kalindra and LTC Tamošaitis emphasized that Lithuania strongly supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia as well as the NATO open door policy, the aspirations of Georgia and Ukraine for NATO and EU membership. They called for the continued consistent implementation of defense reforms and the use of existing instruments to deepen cooperation between Georgia and NATO. Georgia is an important NATO partner, actively contributing to the Alliance's international missions.
Discussing bilateral co-operation, the participants of the meeting noted that Lithuania is a regular sponsor of English language and professional development courses for Georgian soldiers at the Lithuanian Military Academy and studies at the Baltic Defense College; the partnership between the National Defense Volunteer Forces of the Republic of Lithuania and Georgian National Guard is being actively developed. Cooperation on cyber security also remains a key current and future priority.
Defense Minister of Georgia made the emphasis that the main criteria for the ongoing reforms in the field of security have to be compatible with the NATO standards. According to the opinion surveys of Georgian population, Georgian Defense Forces have the highest population confidence. This year, one of the main priorities set by the Ministry of Defense of Georgia is the development of defense capabilities.
Lithuania and Georgia name the global defense strategy as the basis of their state defense, the implementation of which, although it poses many challenges, is vital for the nation's resistance in the event of aggression.
