USA to spend $100mn for military reform in Georgia

Within next two years, Georgia will receive from the United States financial aid worth more than $100mn to support the military reforms, Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria has announced, the press office of the ministry reports.

While meeting US Ambassador to Georgia Ian C. Kelly, the minister said that the countries are opening a new chapter in their cooperation in the military field. The US financing will strengthen Georgia’s defense capacity and raise the level of the strategic military cooperation between the countries.

Izoria noted he had a discussion with the ambassador on the current developments in the military cooperation and said he intended to visit Washington next week, where he would meet Defense Secretary James Mattis.

In July 2016, during an official visit of US State Secretary John Kerry to Georgia, the countries signed a memorandum to intensify cooperation in defense and security that allows Tbilisi buying defense weapons and have joint drills with the USA.

Most probably, the announced sum of $100mn includes $30mn that Tbilisi will have from the US budget under the Foreign Military Financing plan for 2017. The rest of the sum will be allocated within implementation of Memorandum on Deepening the Defense and Security Partnership between the United States of America and Georgia. According to the document, Washington intends to give $60-70mn to Tbilisi.

Previously, the Georgian defense ministry announced that the money will be spent for rearming the Armed Forces. Besides, the first detachment of the Georgian Armed Forces has started being trained by US instructors and NATO representatives. In 2018, nine detachments will be trained by US instructors. The key goal is to train not only peacekeepers, but regular units as well.