Georgia launches drills with NATO members
Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
Publication Date | 8 July 2015 |
Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Georgia launches drills with NATO members, 8 July 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/55b5f46815.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
July 08, 2015
Georgian troops are conducting joint military exercises with NATO countries at an airbase near the capital, Tbilisi.
The two-week-long drills, dubbed Agile Spirit 2015, began at the Vaziani base on July 8.
The Defense Ministry said they are part of a "substantive package" of measures aimed at bringing Georgia closer to the military alliance's standards.
It said some 220 U.S. Marines are taking part, while platoon-level contingents from Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, and Bulgaria are also participating.
Georgia has strongly focused on closer integration with the West.
The country's bid to join NATO and the European Union has infuriated neighboring Russia, which opposes the alliance's expansion into former Soviet republics.
Based on reporting by AFP and AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website