Head of Georgian Defense Forces visits Republic of Slovakia

Tbilisi: The head of the Georgian Defense Forces was in the Republic of Slovakia on an official visit. Major General Giorgi Matiashvili was hosted by the Slovak Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces. 

At the bilateral meeting held at the General Headquarters, the head of the Defense Forces of Georgia was thanked for his visit, expressed strong support on the way to sovereignty and Euro-Atlantic integration of our country and emphasized the importance of strengthening ties between partners in the current difficult security environment.

The parties discussed the issues of cooperation in the field of defense and set out specific directions for future cooperation. Major General Giorgi Matiashvili informed the Slovak side about reforms implemented in the Georgian Defense Forces.

 The Chief of the Defense Forces also focused on assistance provided by Slovakia in the process of implementing the NATO-Georgian Essential Package (SNGP) as well as bilaterally or in NATO and the EU formats.

The discussions between the defense officials touched on various aspects of strengthening the national defence and security capabilities. One of the major topics of the conversation was the joint participation in the international military exercises in Georgia and Slovakia. 

During the visit, the head of the Georgian Defense Forces and members of the delegation also had the opportunity to get acquainted with the multinational command-headquarter training under NATO aegis.

Notably, the Georgian Forces took part in the military exercises, namely – “Slovak Shield 2023”. This was for the first time a, for the Georgian Defense Forces to participate and as an observer. 

As the head of the Georgian Defense Forces noted, “The military training will help to enhance cooperation between NATO member and partner countries. At the same time, it will increase combat readiness for military personnel at any instance.”