SEPT. 3 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — US forces started joint annual exercises with forces from Georgia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania and Ukraine. This is the seventh year running that Georgia has hosted the multilateral war games. The US has said that its main ambition from the exercises is to give Georgian forces a boost.
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(News report from Issue No. 342, published on Sept. 7 2017)
JUNE 12 2017 (The Bulletin) — A second Georgian infantry unit of 100 men is set to join NATO’s Response Force, the Western military alliance’s primary early response mechanism, media reported. Georgia’s is eager to join NATO and has had an infantry unit on NATO’s Response Force since 2015.
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(News report from Issue No. 333, published on June 19 2017)
MAY 29 2017 (The Bulletin) — NATO has struck a deal with Armenia to pay for 130 unusable military vehicles to be decommissioned, media reported. The cost of decommissioning the vehicles is estimated at 1.3m euros. NATO deals with Armenia are important as they show that Armenia, one of Russia’s closest allies, is prepared to work closely with the West’s main military structure.
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(News report from Issue No. 331, published on June 5 2017)
NOV. 15 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — The Russian government sent an official protest note to Georgia over Georgian-NATO military exercises which it described as a serious threat to peace and stability in the region. NATO keeps a permanent training base in Georgia. Both NATO and Georgia shrugged off the Russian complaint and said they were not aimed at Russia. Georgia wants to join NATO.
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(News report from Issue No. 305, published on Nov. 18 2016)
SEPT. 7 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — A NATO-sponsored military exercise took place in Georgia, the second in four months, potentially aggravating Georgia-Russia relations. Six countries participated in the military exercises. Georgia wants to join NATO and contributed to NATO operations in Afghanistan.
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(News report from Issue No. 295, published on Sept. 9 2016)
AUG. 3 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Looking to boost the US’ regional profile, US Secretary of State John Kerry hosted a summit with all five foreign secretaries from Central Asia. Dubbed C5 +1, the meeting was a follow-up from its inaugural session in Samarkand last year. It’s important because the US has been accused of losing interest in the region since pulling its military out of Afghanistan in 2014.
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(News report from Issue No. 292, published on Aug. 12 2016)
TBILISI, JULY 6 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, flew to Tbilisi ahead of a NATO meeting in Warsaw to thank Georgia for its support for US military action in Iraq and Afghanistan and back its territorial integrity.
This was Mr Kerry’s first visit to the South Caucasus as Secretary of State, highlighting how the US’ focus during Barack Obama’s second administration has shifted from Central Asia and the South Caucasus region once it pulled most of its military out of Afghanistan. Instead, Mr Kerry has been embroiled in the collapse of Syria, a resurgent Russia and a war in Ukraine.
Georgia had been hoping for a strong show of support ahead of the NATO summit, the military alliance it has been pushing hard to join.
But Mr Kerry stopped short of openly declaring support for Georgia’s NATO membership and instead promised to support for Georgia’s territorial integrity.
“The United States stands firm in its commitment to Georgia’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders,” he said at a news conference with Georgian PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili.
“Russia’s occupation and militarization of parts of Georgia’s territory are unacceptable.”
Russia has recognised the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two breakaway Georgian regions.
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(News report from Issue No. 288, published on July 8 2016)
JUNE 30 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – In a potential boost to Georgia’s aspirations to join NATO, US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Tbilisi on July 6, the US government said. The following dayMr Kerry will then travel on to Kiev. Joining NATO is a major component of Georgia’s foreign policy. Georgia has supported NATO’s military operations in Afghanistan and the US in Iraq over the past 15 years.
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(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)
JUNE 8 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — At a conference in Washington, Georgian defence minister Tinatin Khidasheli said that NATO should be doing more to secure Georgia as a member of the Western military alliance. She said that by approving Georgia’s NATO membership, the group would be sending a message to Russia that it can’t be intimidated. Georgia is desperate to join NATO but some members are wary of upsetting Russia.
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(News report from Issue No. 284, published on June 10 2016)
JAN. 14 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Georgia’s defence minister Tina Khidasheli flew to Afghanistan to meet some of the 870 Georgian soldiers based in the country as part of the US-led Operation Resolute. Georgia has the second largest number of soldiers in Afghanistan. It views the soldiers as part of a wider diplomatic push to try to join NATO.
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(News report from Issue No. 263, published on Jan. 15 2016)
