US-Georgia launch new defense and deterrence enhancement initiative

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Georgian Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze signed an agreement on Georgia’s Defense and Deterrence Enhancement (GDDE) Initiative earlier today in Tbilisi which is the continuation of Georgia’s Defence Readiness Programme which was launched back in 2018. 

 

Austin, who paid his first official visit to Georgia, said that the agreement reaffirmed the US’s ‘strong support for Georgia’s defence, the country’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations and its sovereignty and territorial integrity.’ 

 

He described Georgia as a ‘firm  and a reliable partner’ of the US. 

 

Burchuladze said that the new agreement is ‘critically important’ for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration and ‘confirms the US-Georgia relations are at an all-time-high.’ 

 

During the visit Austin disapproved of the recent 3+3 cooperation format proposed by Turkey and Iran with Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia and Georgia, and said that ‘first of all Russia must respect the 2008 ceasefire agreement with Georgia’ and withdraw its forces from Georgian territory.’ 

 

Austin has also met with Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili and thanked him for a ‘warm welcome.’ 

 

From Georgia Austin will leave for Ukraine, Romania and Brussels. 

 

Georgian top officials have described the visit as ‘historic, reaffirming close ties between Georgia and the US.’