Georgia’s PM Kvirikashvili meets German Defense Minister
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, October 6
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili met with the Defense Minister of Germany, Ursula von der Leyen, on Thursday.
Georgia-German cooperation in the defense field and Georgia's ongoing reforms were the key issues of the meeting.
Ursula von der Leyen expressed deep appreciation for Georgia's contribution to the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and emphasized the high professionalism and exceptional preparedness of the Georgian soldiers.
She commended the tremendous role of Georgia's armed forces and the special importance of their efforts to the coalition as a whole.
The German minister positively assessed the military reforms underway in Georgia.
During the meeting, special emphasis was placed on the importance of enhancing Germany's engagement in defense and other areas in Georgia.
Ongoing political and economic reforms and the importance of sharing Germany's experience in logistics were also mentioned at the meeting.
The parties also discussed recent developments in the region and in Georgia.
Prior to meeting with the PM, Ursula von der Leyen was also hosted by her Georgian counterpart, Levan Izoria.
They discussed issues of cooperation in the defense sphere and future prospects. According to Levan Izoria, Georgia continues to support the international community in terms of strengthening peace and stability.
Izoria informed his German colleague about the Defense Preparedness Program which will be implemented from 2018 with the assistance of the United States.
The conversation touched upon the help provided by Germany in terms of implementing the NATO-Georgia Substantial Package (SNGP).
Within the framework of the one-day visit to Georgia, Ursula von der Leyen will visit the Defense Institution Building (DIB) School, which was established with German assistance in the framework of the NATO-Georgia Substantial Package.
