Georgia to join NATO Response Force in 2015
by alethoXinhua News Agency | February 12, 2014
TBILISI: Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania said Wednesday that the country has decided to join the NATO Response Force (NRF) in 2015 with financial support from the United States.
The
decision was announced at a joint press conference with Knud Bartels,
chairman of the NATO Military Committee, on the second day of the
committee’s first ever visit to the South Caucasus country, during which
talks with Georgian leaders were also held to discuss security,
cooperation and Georgia’s involvement in NATO’s mission in Afghanistan.
“It
has already been decided that Georgia will become part of the NATO
Response Force in 2015 and a sponsor state has already been selected.
The United States will ensure readiness along with the NATO military to
provide rapid response in case of crisis,” said Alasania.
Bartels
told the assembled press that Georgia has made “solid progress in its
defense reforms that will allow cooperation between Georgia and NATO.”
The
NRF, initiated in November 2002, has a joint force of around 13,000
high-readiness troops made up of land, air, maritime and special
operations components that the Alliance can deploy quickly wherever
needed, according to NATO information.
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