Georgia to hold joint exercises with NATO to deter "growing Russian aggression" - defense minister
TBILISI. Oct 17 (Interfax) - Joint exercises of the Georgian armed forces and NATO should serve as another deterring factor against "growing Russian aggression," Georgian Defense Minister Irakly Alasania said.
"After a package of action for Georgia was adopted at the last NATO summit in Wales, we plan to regularly hold joint exercises with NATO on our territory, and this would become yet another deterring factor against the growing Russian aggression," Alasania said on the Imedi television channel on Thursday.
The package of actions envisions not only joint exercises of NATO members and partners with Georgian servicemen but also the establishment of a training and logistics center having its own infrastructure with NATO specialists' assistance, he said.
"High-ranking NATO military officials will exercise control over the implementation of this action package at the General Staff of our armed forces. The implementation of this package will begin at the start of next year," he said.