Ministry of Defence of Georgia
November 28, 2014
Chairman of the EU Military Committee visits Georgia
Chairman of the European Union Military Committee General Patrick de Rousiers is paying a two day official visit to Georgia. Chief of the General Staff of Georgian Armed Forces Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze hosts the EU high military representative.
An official welcome reception was held in the courtyard of the GS. The military brass band of Ministry of Defence performed EU and Georgian state anthems.
After an official reception, the military officials held a meeting in the conference hall of the GS. Current defence cooperation between Georgia and EU and the future plans of relationship were among the key topics of discussion. The sides focused on Georgia`s engagement in EU crisis management operations in the frames of Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
At the meeting Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze briefed the EU military representative on the ongoing defence reforms. Georgian Chief of Defence underlined Georgia`s participation in EU and NATO-led international missions where the Georgian troops are gaining useful combat experience and providing significant contribution to the global security.
Following the meeting, the generals summarized the outcome of the meeting: “It is a great pleasure and great honor for me to be here in Tbilisi on the invitation of your Chief of General Staff. I am here, Chairman of the EU Military Committee and Military Adviser to Madam Mogherini, the high representative of the EU. I just had a meeting two weeks ago with the 28 Chiefs of Defence of the Europe and told them that I was coming here. They all asked me to pay tribute to the engagement of the Georgian Armed Forces alongside us and on behalf of Madam Mogherini I would like to highlight how much she is eager to say and to reaffirm the importance of territorial integrity of Georgia.
“We had very fruitful discussions today. I am looking forward to further discussions with you. I am very honored to be invited by your President but also by Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. It will be an occasion for us to interact and explain our views on these challenges that we are each facing –immediate challenges and also more profound and long-term challenges throughout the world.
“It will be an occasion to highlight how much EU-Georgia collaboration in various elements, of one of which is defence, is very important for the EU side and we are very happy of the continued engagement of the Georgian Armed Forces in Central African Republic. I was recently in Bangui and saw the professionalism of the Georgian detachment there….
“The visit of General Patrick de Rousiers in Georgia was very important. Significance of the contribution provided by the Georgian troops to the global security was reiterated during the meeting. Today, it is impossible to discuss any regional problem in a narrow context as all such problems are becoming global. We are determined to further deepen the EU-Georgian relationship in the military sphere”, said Chief of the GS of GAF Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze.
After the meeting, The Chairman of the European Union Military Committee laid wreath on the memorial of heroes fallen in the fight for the territorial integrity of Georgia and paid tribute to their memory by holding a minute of silence.