Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey General Necdet Özel is paying two day official visit to Georgia. Chief of the General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze hosts his Turkish counterpart, reports GHN based on the Ministry of Defense.
Today Minister of Defence of Georgia Irakli Alasania received Turkish General Necdet Özel. The sides discussed the issues of current relationship between Turkey and Georgia and deepening bilateral cooperation in future. One of the key topics of discussion was regional security environment.
Defence Minister expressed desire about Turkey`s maximal involvement in the implementation of the NATO-Georgia Substantial Package. Minister thanked the Turkish side for the political support of Georgia`s NATO aspirations and the contribution provided in the development of the armed forces of Georgia.
The Georgian side referred to holding joint exercises and command and field trainings in the format of trilateral cooperation between Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan.
"The visit of the Chief of the General Staff of Turkey in Georgia is the demonstration of an intensive cooperation between Georgian and Turkish military ongoing for the last 20 years. I`d like to emphasize that a strategic partnership between the two countries becomes more solid as time goes on. Today we have discussed the measures to be taken under the mutual cooperation and the issues of trilateral cooperation between Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan. It is also planned to hold joint trainings and to develop combined measures of protection of critical and strategic infrastructure that connect three partner countries. Besides that we have also focused on the threats to which we all must react through combined efforts." said Minister Irakli Alasania.
An official greeting ceremony of the Turkish delegation was led at the General Staff area. After the face to-face meeting between Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze and General Necdet Özel, an extended meeting was held in the General Staff. Following the meeting, Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey General Necdet Özel went to see the Heroes` Square to lay wreath on the memorial of heroes fallen in the fight for the territorial integrity of Georgia.
In the frames of the visit the meeting is scheduled with Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili.