US increases military aid to Georgia by $33 mln

The United States will increase its military aid to Georgia by  $33 million, a meeting between the US and Georgian defence officials, Lloyd Austin and Juansher Burchuladze, highlighted in Washington on Thursday. 

At the meeting Austin reaffirmed his country’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and its readiness to continue assisting the country to strengthen its deterrence and defense potential. 

The officials also discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine, security challenges in Georgia and the South Caucasus, and ongoing reforms in Georgia’s defense sector, the Georgian defence ministry press office said. 

Before the meeting, in a public speech to the press, Austin emphasized the “significant contribution” made by Georgia to global security and the “service and sacrifices” of Georgian servicemembers supporting the US and NATO military in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. He noted the US “greatly appreciates” the role that Georgia had played for the security and stability of the South Caucasus region and the world as a whole.

According to the Secretary of Defense of the United States, during his visit to Tbilisi in 2021, a new initiative to strengthen Georgia’s defense and deterrence potential was announced, and recently, in January 2023, the Pentagon notified Congress of the allocation of $33 million for this programme.