Ex-Defense Minister Khidasheli: US Secretary for Defense’ visit important

Ex-Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli has told Front News Georgia that the ongoing visit of the United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to Georgia ‘is important as it increases the possibility’ the US can offer a new defence cooperation agreement. 

 

The Georgian Defence Ministry stated earlier today that a new agreement in the defence field will be signed between the US and Georgia during Austin’s visit.

 

Khidasheli says that the term of the defense program signed between the US and Georgia when she held the post of defence minister back 2015 has already expired and signing a new agreement is crucial. 

 

Khidasheli hopes that neither the fear of the ruling Georgian Dream government ‘to make Russia angry,’ nor ‘not-realising the importance’ of the new agreement will hamper its implementation. 

 

She also slammed former Defence Minister Levan Izoria, who replaced her to the post in 2016, for not attending NATO defence ministerials ‘to save money.’ 

 

Austin, who took the post back in January 2021, arrived in Tbilisi earlier today.

 

“Wheels down in Georgia. The United States is committed to helping Georgia build its defense capacity and advance its Euro-Atlantic integration, and I am looking forward to my meetings here,” Austin tweeted.

 

Austin, who is scheduled to visit Ukraine, Romania and Brussels after Georgia, will meet with Georgian defense and prime ministers in Tbilisi, sign an agreement with the Georgian Defense Ministry and attend a military exercise involving Georgian and American soldiers.