US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has completed his first official visit to Georgia earlier today, thanking Georgian top officials for ‘warm welcome’ in capital Tbilisi yesterday.

“Wrapping up a great visit to Tbilisi. Thank you to PM Irakli Garibashvil and Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze for meeting with me yesterday to discuss shared security concerns and reaffirm the strength of the U.S.-Georgia strategic partnership,” Austin tweeted. 

During the visit Georgia and the US Department of Defence signed a memorandum of understanding on the Georgia Defense and Deterrence Enhancement (GDDE) Initiative, which will be the continuation of Georgia’s Defence Readiness Programme which launched back in 2018. 

While in Georgia Austin stated that the US sees Georgia as its strategic ally and is interested in further strengthening of ties. 

Garibashvili stressed that Austin’s first official visit to Georgia was ‘a very strong message in support of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.’ 

He said that signing the GDDE Initiative has reaffirmed the US ‘continued interest in the Black Sea and Caucasus region’ and that the agreement ‘is crucial.’ 

Austin, who took the post in January of the year, will now visit Ukraine,Romania and Brussels within his European tour.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry has evaluated the visit as ‘historic and crucial,’ and stated that a new phase of cooperation between Georgia and the US in the defence field has kicked off.