NATO Secretary General highlights Allied and Georgian forces training together
Today (24 March 2022), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke virtually during the final phases of a joint exercise in Georgia featuring Georgian, Allied and partner troops.
“For the past two weeks, the Georgian armed forces and the armed forces of Allied and partner countries have trained side by side to advance interoperability, enhance mutual awareness, and build trust,” the Secretary General said. “This exercise, which we conducted for the third time, shows NATO’s commitment to strengthen Georgia's defence capabilities, by training and educating its armed forces it is demonstrating NATO’s close cooperation with Georgia,” he pointed out.
Secretary General Stoltenberg underscored the critical background of this year’s exercise, resulting from Russia’s “brutal and senseless invasion of Ukraine,” which “has shattered peace in Europe.” “In this new era, NATO Allies stand together, also with like-minded partners, and countries around the world,” he also said. “We will stand up to defend our core principles, including every country’s right to choose its own path. This is also Georgia’s right and it must be respected. Strong and capable armed forces are key to uphold Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and NATO will continue to support you in your efforts,” he emphasized.
The Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, also participated. In his address he pointed out: “This NATO-Georgia exercise comes at a challenging time for global security. If the current situation has taught us anything, is that we must always be ready to expect the unexpected. This is a sacred precept for every Armed Forces; always be ready for different scenarios, prepare, train, and do not take anything for granted. Success lies in training, repeatedly and consistently, to do better and be better.”
The NATO-Georgia exercise takes place every three years. The 2022 edition is the third one held to date, with almost 600 personnel involved, contributed from 21 Allied member states and partner countries (Albania, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Sweden).