Ministry of Defence of Georgia
July 9, 2015
NATO`s Strategic Military Partner Conference 2015 (SMPC 15)
NATO`s Strategic Military Partner Conference 2015 (SMPC) has opened at the Expo Georgia today. High-ranking officials of NATO member and partner nations` armed forces and experts are taking part in the annual military forum and discussing the transformation issues and future challenges.
Minister of Defence opened the plenary session of the Conference. When delivering the speech, Tinatin Khidasehli focused on the existing security challenges, significance of partnership with NATO and Georgia`s membership perspectives. “Though faced with serious security challenges, I am proud that Georgia, today, represents one of the most interoperable, reliable and devoted Partners of NATO; I am proud that difficulties have only made us stronger, more determined to advance defence transformation process, develop capabilities, focus on education and training, and further enhance NATO interoperability; And I am confident, that this will naturally lead to fulfillment of our primary objective – NATO membership. I can only remain hopeful that Warsaw Summit will be rewarding in this regard, which would also serve as a confirmation of Allies’ commitment to deliver on their promises”, said Minister.
Deputy Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Alexander Vershbow welcomed the forum participants in a video address. NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) French Air Forces General Jean-Paul Palomeros and Deputy Commander of NATO’s Allied Land Command Lieutenant General Edward Davis made speeches at the conference as well.
After an official opening of the conference, the plenary session went on with panels on different topics. On the second day of the conference, the participants will work in syndicates.
The annual conference is an important forum that enables Chiefs of Defence of NATO and Partner nations to share their perspectives on strategic issues of common interest. The intent of the SMPC is to facilitate the exchange of ideas regarding transformation throughout the Trans-Atlantic Community by creating a common understanding. The conference is co-hosted By NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) and the Georgian Armed Forces.
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Ministry of Defence of Georgia
July 9, 2015
Joint Press-Conference of Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze and General Jean-Paul Paloméros
Joint press-conference was held in the exhibition center “Expo Georgia” within the NATO Strategic Military Partners Conference. Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed forces, Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze and Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, General Jean-Paul Paloméros outlined the importance of holding the forum in Georgia and emphasized NATO-Georgia cooperation.
“Thank Georgian authorities, President, Minister of Defence Tinatin Khidasheli and Chief of Defence, Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze for their outstanding hospitality for the Strategic Military Partnership Conference which gathered many NATO and partner countries. We are more than 50 nations representing here. That’s already a great success.
Our presence here for this major annual Strategic Military Partnership Conference is a great demonstration of our will to give a real will as enhance and privilege of partners of NATO. Georgia is continuously demonstrated this commitment to NATO operations in Kosovo, it is true in Afghanistan. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to all the soldiers who have been killed in action in Afghanistan and overall who have been wounded and pay tribute to the families, pay tribute to your country – Georgia for its huge commitment, huge sacrifices for peace and security. And this is why – this partnership is close to our heart, because Georgia shows permanent commitment to be engaged in operations for the benefits of peace and security.
During the Wales Summit last September a lot of important initiatives have been decided by the head of states of NATO and it partners. And Georgia was present. All these initiatives aim at improving interoperability between our forces, enhancing the partnership with some nations. Georgia is part of the five nations we have been selected for that. To move further and Georgia was selected to be a member of defence capability and security related capacity building initiative which is so important, because we fully understand that Georgia needs our full support to improve, to modernize its capabilities, to train its wonderful men and women and to get closer and closer to NATO standards, to NATO doctrines, to NATO training, education programs. That we can make sure that Georgia forces are able to integrate as the best since the first moment of a new approach, new commitment. So with an outstanding, very promising road map in follow us with Georgia, with many of the partners we have so much to share, because we live in a very demanding world, because not a single organization, not a single country can take care of this complexity of this world. Partnership is the option for the future.
And I wish like to conclude and to stress that we have very pragmatic way forward, we have many pragmatic projects together – common exercise next year, joint training and evaluation center, the building of capabilities, as I stressed already. So I am really certain to support this very demanding road map that we have together – one for friendship that we share with your forces for the benefit of NATO, for the benefit of Georgia”, stated General Jean-Paul Paloméros.
“I’d like to underline such important occasion that takes place in Georgia. General Staff and Defence Ministry is hosting NATO Strategic Military Partners Conference for the first time. I’d like express gratitude to Mr. General and all who planned this Conference to be held in Georgia. This is an annual forum under the aegis of NATO Supreme Allied Transformation Command with the participation of high-ranking officials of NATO member and partner nations’ armed forces and experts. The conference is a very important military forum where the attendees discuss transformation issues and future challenges, how to face them and plan our future prospects effectively. Each organization needs to transform and modernize. Therefore, the conference promotes transatlantic nations to share opinions on transformation and set up common views on strategic issues.
The Conference helps Georgia to define our ambition towards NATO – what capabilities and limits we have and what NATO can do for Georgia. This Conference aims to deepen cooperation with non-NATO countries. To hold such Conference in Georgia is a great demonstration of close relation with NATO. The Alliance appreciates Georgia as a reliable military partner and future member”, outlined Chief of General Staff Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze.
After the Generals speeches the press-conference continued in an interactive format. The journalists were mainly interested in Georgia’s NATO aspiration prospects and opening of NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Center.
As General Jean-Paul Paloméros said, the decision of Georgia’s NATO membership is made on political level: “This is not for us to make political decisions you understand but this is very important that us – military chiefs push the boundaries of the partnership as much as we can and then at the political level it was demonstrated in Wales and even before and I am sure it will be demonstrated in Warsaw that the Heads of State will make their decision about the future. But we are here to make sure that we enable the future in terms of military capabilities. When we see the ability of the Georgian Forces to integrate within NATO operations this is a great sign of Georgia getting closer and closer to military standards and military capabilities. If one day at the political level it is decided that Georgia is on the course of the Membership Action Plan that will make things much easier. This is exactly what happened in the past with many countries. We are here to enable the participation of Georgia in military operations of NATO which is the aim of any partnership with NATO”.
NATO General highlighted Georgia’s commitments towards NATO: “Georgia has never failed. Georgia is true to its commitments. So as I said here are the military chiefs who are doing our best to make sure that the Substantial Package, the Enhanced Partnership, the Interoperability Platform – all of that works as much as possible. Our presence here is a great demonstration and I am very pleased that I made this decision almost two years ago that Georgia will be the hosting nation thanks to the great offer of your country to host the Strategic Military Partnership Conference. This is a great mark of our demonstration to work together”.
Chief of General Staff talked about the opening of NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Centre. As he outlined, Georgia is following all plans of NATO-Georgia Substantial Package. General Jean-Paul Paloméros focused on that Georgia will become a special partner in the region after the opening of JTEC.
The journalists’ questions also referred to the regional challenges. Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze outlined that Georgia is an independent country which has independent armed forces and views to enhance defence capabilities. General Jean-Paul Paloméros resonated NATO Secretary General’s position: “This question was answered by the Secretary General of NATO recently and I will not come back on this political, clear statement about where NATO stands regarding the national sovereignty and this is true for any nation. National sovereignty is the basis of international law and NATO is committed to fulfill its role in supporting the international rules of laws. Secretary General has made it clear that it is not acceptable that one single country does not respect the sovereignty of another country”.
