Ministry of Defence of Georgia
September 7, 2014
Meeting with Georgian Military and U.S. Marines
Within two-day official visit to Georgia, U.S. Secretary of Defense visited National Training Center “Krtsanisi”. Defence Minister of Georgia Irakli Alasania, Chief of General Staff of GAF, Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze and the top brass of MoD hosted the honorable guest at the Center.
Georgian Defence Minister introduced his U.S. counterpart to the soldiers and expressed gratitude to Chuck Hagel for visiting Georgia: “We are especially proud that our guest – United States Secretary of Defense was a military man himself and was wounded in a combat operation. I’d like again to warmly welcome the Secretary of Defense of United States and would like to reiterate that he should be feeling himself as he is at home being here in Georgia”.
U.S. Secretary of Defense delivered speech to the Georgian military and U.S. Marines. He thanked the Georgian people for their contributions and sacrifices over the last decade.
While addressing Chuck Hagel emphasized three main priorities for the U.S. as a state: “Minister, thank you very much. Georgian hosts and fellow soldiers – thank you for what you do and for your friendship and partnership. Thank you our marines – we are very proud of you, we are very proud of what you do and what you represent and how you do your job. You are important ambassadors for our country, of out alive and you do as much as any group of people to build bridges all over the world with other nations, with another people. I want you to know that President Obama asked me to do – tell you hello, but also wanted me to express deep gratitude for what you do. Particularly, I am pleased to be here with my friend – the Georgian Defence Minister but actually met him many years ago when I was here as a representative of the United States Senate. I know that he is commitment to his country and people of Georgia. I know that he is commitment to American people friendship and partnership. I think mostly you know Minister and I have just arrived from the NATO Summit in Wales. I believe a great deal was accomplished. I think a great deal was accomplished to enhance and expand the relationship among the NATO countries with Georgia. I want to share couple of thoughts with you and then we will take up questions. The primary priorities that President Obama places on our country, I place on Department of Defense are these: First – people, every institution is only as good as people – to take care of your people capabilities. Second – we can ask our marines and Georgian Soldiers to go and come back without capabilities at the edge that you must have. Third – an enhancement and an enlargement and focus on partner building, partner capability building. I know Georgian friends share the same priorities – people, capabilities and partners. I believe if there was every time in the world that partnership is going to be very important. Important not just for the threats we face today but future unknown threats. That is importance of today’s partnerships. Well, I came to Georgia right after the NATO Summit for many reasons. But a primary reason was to emphasize to our Georgian partners, to people of Georgia how the United States values your relationship. So I very much appreciate my day here that I have spent time this morning with the Defence Minister. This afternoon I will meet with the President and Prime Minister to have opportunities that President Obama wants to share – we share our thinking and take continued the reassurance commitments of our partnership and the expansion of that partnership. I feel much better to be around with U.S. marines”.
Following his speech, U.S. Secretary of Defense answered the questions asked by Georgian and U.S. military. At the end of the event, the U.S. honorable guest presented the Georgian military and U.S. marines with the coins of U.S. Secretary of Defense.