|
Development
of the Georgian army is included into qualitatively new phase - with the help of
USA and other friendly countries of Georgia, which is supposed to create uniform,
conceptual program of reforming and structural reorganization of armed Forces of
the country, Minister of Defence of Georgia, David Tevzadze declared in recent
press conference, making comments on results of his visit in March to USA. As he
said, at the first stage, there will be a coordination of military cooperation
with Georgia between USA and Turkey, its main partners today in defensive sphere.
After that, as Minister told, the group of the states can be created, which will
be coordinated to help Georgia in military sphere. David Tevzadze specified that
this international help would be directed on creation of forces of swift
reaction and approach to the standards of NATO of the eleventh motor-shooting
brigade. The international resources and financial assets will be spent on these
two main priorities, he noted. According to Minister, International Advisory
Corporation on military questions - EMPRI will be contacted for the decision of
questions related with planning of reorganization of the Georgian army in the
near future. The project has wide experience in reforming armies of the
countries of the East Europe. David Tevzadze declared, probably, the Congress of
USA would cancel existing restrictions on rendering military - technical
overseas aid. In this case Minister does not exclude deliveries of American arms
to Georgia. Realization of such step will really proceed from conversations held
recently in the Pentagon, told David Tevzadze. Georgia found the role in the
modern world and many countries are going to help it in the realization of
strategy, Minister told.
In the meantime, Georgian Mass-Media informed about proceeding of the process of
export arms of the former USSR to Russia from territory of Georgia. The big
paratrooper ships of the Black Sea fleet on Monday again have started operation
on transportation of the Russian military engineering and equipments from
Georgia. As informed by the Moscow correspondent of the Georgian agency of the
Prime – News in Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, four BDK are
involved in transportation of cargoes from the military bases of Russia located
in the Georgian territory. Export of the Russian engineering and weapon began
from Georgia on August 7, 2000, when two paratrooper ships have taken out the
first set of arms - 10 tanks, 13 BMP and 26 units of a special equipment from
Batumi to Novorossiysk, and then, on 6th September, 10 tanks, 19 BMP, 32 units
of a special equipment were sent to Russia. As a whole more than 200 units of
military engineering and arms have been taken out from Georgia to Russia in
2000. The Georgian army will receive the Czech tanks of Soviet manufacture Ò-55 instead of the Russian engineering. According to the recommendation
of the NATO, Prague gratuitously transfers Tbilisi according to NATO standards
during modernization of armed forces of Georgia.
The Georgian authorities informed that military air station in Marneili can be
used by Air Forces of all partner countries of Georgia, but the priority will be
given to Turkey. Deputy Minister of Defense Gela Bejuashvili declared it. He
told that there is nothing unusual as Turkey allocated a grant of an amount of
more than one million dollars on modernization of air station. In future,
Russian Air Forces can use this air station in the same way as Turkish, he
emphasized. At the same time, according to Bejuashvili, the report is not true
that in Marneili, there will be permanent Turkish military planes. The air
station, which has been opened in recent present year, will become the main
military air base of the Georgian army in nearest five years.
|
