Lloyd Austin: The United States values Georgia as a strong strategic partner and our support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering

I wanted to be here in person today because the United States values Georgia as a strong strategic partner and our support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering, - US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said at a press conference.

According to him, the memorandum of understanding that the minister and he signed underscores the Department of Defense's enduring policy of helping Georgia to defend itself, to deter aggression and further its Euro-Atlantic integration.

“Now for more than three years, the Georgian defense readiness program has been the foundation of our efforts to build Georgia’s defense capacity and readiness. That program is set to conclude at the end of this year, so today I'm honored to join the Minister to announce the Georgia defense and deterrence enhancement initiative. This initiative will serve as a focal point for our security cooperation between the United States Department of Defense and the Georgian Ministry of Defense and the Georgian Defense Forces. This marks an exciting new phase of bilateral cooperation between our countries.

We're going to build upon the Georgian defense readiness program by continuing institutional reform in the defense sector, by strengthening the capabilities and the capacity required for effective deterrence and defense and by fostering interoperability with NATO, by modernizing and developing the Georgian Ministry of Defense and the Georgian Defense Forces. This initiative will advance our shared security interest and strengthen our partnership. The success of this initiative will require close cooperation between our countries, so that we stay on track toward our common goal.

The memorandum of understanding that the minister and I just signed acknowledges the importance of our work together and it demonstrates our shared commitment to the success of this initiative.

It also underscores the Department of Defense's enduring policy of helping Georgia to defend itself, to deter aggression and further its Euro-Atlantic integration.

At the same time, the Georgian government must do its part by leveraging the US support to strengthen Georgia's democracy and to make the fundamental reforms necessary to bring Georgia even closer to the west.

Now before I conclude, I want to thank the Minister, the Georgian Defense Forces and the Georgian people for their steadfast support for the US and NATO efforts in Afghanistan. As a veteran of the Afghan war, I'm especially grateful for all of you have done. Georgia played an outsized role in this mission. The Georgian troops bravely served shoulder to shoulder with their American comrades, building bonds between our countries that transcend cultural and linguistic differences. Georgia has paid a heavy price, with 32 killed and 293 wounded.

The United States honors this sacrifice and we are deeply grateful to all of the Georgian people, to all of the troops who served in Afghanistan and their families. Our collective efforts in Afghanistan is a testament to the strength of our strategic partnership, our shared interest and values”, said the Secretary of Defense.