MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF GEORGIA
Estonian General
visits Georgia
Chief of the Joint Staff of the
GAF, Major-General Devi
Chankotadze met with the Chief
of Defense of Estonia, General-
Lieutenant Ants Laaneot. At the
meeting, the officials dealt with
cooperation issues in the fields of
education and the ongoing re-
forms in the sphere of defense;
international peacekeeping mis-
sions were also the subject of bi-
lateral discussions. General-Lieu-
tenant Ants Laaneot, accompa-
nied by Major-General Devi
Chankotadze also inspected the I
Artillery Brigade in Vaziani. At a
press-conference, Devi Chanko-
tadze discussed the long-term
cooperation between Georgia and
Estonia: “the main goal of the
Georgian-Estonian joint activities
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
is to prepare highly qualified mil-
itary personnel and to ensure the
effective implementation of
peacekeeping missions. During
our discussions, we touched upon
the need for cooperation on the
said priority issues”.
The Estonian General-Lieu-
tenant, spoke of his first visit to
Georgia. “I was first in Georgia
in June 2008. After that, a great
deal of things have changed in
the country in terms of infra-
structure and civil society. At the
meeting we exchanged our ex-
periences in the development of
our armed forces and in the ISAF
participation. Estonians and
Georgians are working side-by-
side on the peacekeeping mis-
sion in one of the most danger-
ous provinces of Afghanistan”,
stated Ants Laaneot. He ex-
pressed his deep regret for the
human losses recently suffered
by the Georgian armed forces in
Afghanistan, and extended his
condolences to their families.
The Estonian official also
paid tribute to the memory of the
soldiers who lost their lives dur-
ing the war of August 2008, and
laid flowers at their memorial.
Within the framework of the
visit, Ants Laaneot met with the
Chief of the Intelligence Service,
Gela Bejhuashvili. A meeting
also took place with Deputy De-
fense Minister, Nodar
Kharshiladze. The Estonian
General-Lieutenant left Georgia
on December 4.
DECEMBER 2010 ISSUE #42
US Ambassador visits
Krtsanisi Trainign Center
On December 7, the US Am- ed with the ongoing preparation ISAF operation: “Fundamental-
bassador to Georgia, John R. process for the 33rd Battalion”, ly, the most important thing is the
Bass paid a visit to the Krtsanisi the Defense Minister explained. people and we are pleased to be
National Training Center where As part of the visit, John Bass supporting the defense ministry
Defense Minister, Bacho had the opportunity to inspect the and the Georgian government in
Akhalaia received the American 33rd Battalion, who are current- developing the right types of
diplomat. Colonel Nikoloz Jan- ly being prepared to replace the forces, both to defend Georgia
jgava, Trainings and Military Georgian battalion currently de- but also to join with us in Af-
Education Commander of GAF ployed in Afghanistan. The Am- ghanistan and in other places. We
accompanied the Ambassador on bassador was highly appriecia- are very grateful for the commit-
his visit to the base. The visitors tive of the Battalion’s level of ment of Georgia and the sacri-
also attended exercises and took preparedness and thanked Geor- fices it has already made. ” John
a tour of the Simulation Center. gia for its involvement in the Bass told journalists.
They became familiar with the
process through which recruits
and service personnel are
trained: “This is the main train-
ing facility, where the recruits are
going through the basic prepa-
ration course. The center is also
used for retraining active service
personnel - I should say that we
have achieved a lot in this re-
gard. The recently introduced
simulation trainings have also
proved to be rather effective ...
What’s more, Mr. Bass had the
opportunity to become acquaint-
INSIDE
Four Star General US Ambassador at
- David Petraeus the Cadets Military
Lyceum
Media
Representatives New Rector
Appointed
in Afghanistan
Homecoming
Visit of Latvian
Ceremony
General
2 MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF GEORGIA TODAY DECEMBER 2010 ISSUE #42

Four Star General - David Petraeus

The War in Afghanistan is the first major conflict of the 21st Century. Though How do you assess the readiness of
the origins of the war date back to the Soviet Occupation of the last century, the Georgian troops? Are they sufficient-
current war began in October, 2001 in response to the September 11, 2001 terror- ly prepared for operations in Afghan-
ist attacks on the United States. On June 23, 2010, President Barak Obama an- istan and the difficult Helmand prov-
nounced that General David Petraeus would succeed General Stanley A. McChrys- ince?
tal as the Commander of the U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. Defense Today had an I had an opportunity to visit Geor-
opportunity to hold an interview with the four star General in Kabul, Afghanistan. gian soldiers in Helmand province. I can
say without a shadow of a doubt that
they are doing very well. They are in
the tough area of Helmand, one of the
most difficult parts of Afghanistan. They
have an important mission outside of the
wire [the secure zones in Kabul]. The
Georgian military is conducting opera-
tions in the area of their responsibility
and they are doing very impressive
work. I should mention that your sol-
diers were doing the same when they
served in Iraq at the time at which I was
also privileged to be their commander.
How do you see the role of Geor-
gian troops in the new Afghanistan
strategy? Is it necessary to increase
the number of Georgian troops serv-
ing in the country?
Numbers are obviously always na-
tional decisions. We have discussed this
issue with the Georgian authorities at
various times. The Georgian contribu-
tion is a very important because your
troops are operating outside the wire.
Once again, they are conducting tough
missions in tough places that matter
enormously to the overall mission.
At the recent Lisbon Summit, there
was a decision made about a new Stra-
tegic Concept. What is the main goal
of this concept and how easy will it be
to implement?
In my opinion, the important mes-
sage from the Lisbon Summit was one
of a sustained, substantial commitment
by the 49 nations that contribute troops
here in Afghanistan. A pledge to contin-
ue this mission, to achieve the goal that
was first laid out by president Karzai of
having Afghan forces in the lead in se-
curity missions throughout the country
by the end of 2014. Obviously, four
years away from now is on one hand a
substantial period; on the other hand,
there are some very important tasks that
need to be accomplished by then. It will
be a very serious and challenging en-
deavor as it always has been, but of
course it is also one that is very impor-
tant in accomplishing our overriding
mission here, which is to ensure that
Afghanistan will not once again become
a sanctuary for transnational extremists
as it was prior to 9/11. The only way to
ensure that is to help Afghanistan de-
velop the capability to secure and gov-
ern itself.
At the Lisbon Summit, President
Saakashvili stated that Georgia would
provide training for the Afghan Na-
tional Army (ANA). Is this important
for the ISAF? Is it possible for Geor-
gian troops to train them?
It’s obviously very important for the
Afghan National Army and for the oth-
er elements of the Afghan military and
police to be well-trained and well-
equipped. It will be possible for the Af-
ghan security forces to develop the ex-
perience and the kind of professional
quality that will be necessary to take
over security in the country by the end
of 2014. Indeed, there is a requirement
for additional trainers. The NATO Chain
of Command, Supreme Headquarters,
and Allied Power Europe - SHAPE
headquarters are in fact working on gen-
erating those forces. There was a force-
generating conference held recently to
address the issue. It’s up to the nations,
each individual country makes a deci-
sion of its own as to what it can and will
contribute.
When do you expect the ANA to
be able to defend their country by
themselves?
We already see it taking place. If you
walk outside of the gates here for ex-
ample, you can see that the security in
Kabul city - and indeed throughout the
province - is Afghan. You will see Af-
ghan police in the city, and outside the
city in Kabul province Afghan troops
support police activities. There is indeed
a fine ISAF contingent here, however,
by and large they are advising and as-
sisting Afghan forces, not performing
tasks for them. Therefore, you’re already
seeing an example of what the goal of
2014 looks like. Afghan forces are in the
lead in all districts except for one in
Kabul Province. Keep in mind of course
that Kabul province includes over one
sixth of the population of Afghanistan.
It’s some five million people located in
this area.
What can you say about the polit-
ical and military importance of Geor-
gian participation in the ISAF?
I think every country is important
politically. Even the smallest of coun-
tries are making important political and
diplomatic statement by their contribu-
tion. Georgia’s contribution is really
quite substantial, especially on a per-
capita basis. It’s not just politically im-
portant. It’s militarily significant. That’s
how I would describe it.
Now about Russia’s approach to-
wards Afghanistan. How do you see
the future of relations between the two
countries?
It’s obviously up to Russia how it
deals with Afghanistan; there will be
bilateral questions for those two coun-
tries certainly.
Why does NATO need the support
of Russia in this operation? Is it a po-
litical issue or more practical?
In one practical sense, the northern
distribution network [sending NATO sup-
plies to Afghanistan] runs through Rus-
sia so it’s clearly helpful for Russia and
the other countries north of Afghanistan
to allow the transit of equipment and sup-
plies into Afghanistan. We can reduce the
pressure on the ground lines of commu-
nication that run through Pakistan.

Media
Representatives
in Afghanistan
A group of Georgian journalists has
visited Afghanistan with the support of
the Ministry of Defense. Over the course
of two weeks the Georgian media rep-
resentatives were able to become famil-
iar Georgia’s contribution to the ISAF
operation. They visited the Georgian
company stationed in Kabul and spent
two weeks with the 32nd Battalion cur-
rently serving in Helmand Province. The
journalists received a security briefing
and accreditation before departure to
Afghanistan. The Public Affairs Depart-
ment of the Georgian Defense Ministry
plans to organize similar tours for the
media in the future. The purpose of the
tours is to increase public awareness of
Georgia’s participation in the interna-
tional peacekeeping operation.
DECEMBER 2010 ISSUE #42
US Ambassador at the
Cadets Military Lyceum
On December 13, the US Ambassa-
dor to Georgia, John R. Bass paid a vis-
it to the Cadets Military Lyceum where
Defense Minister, Bacho Akhalaia host-
ed the American Diplomat. The diplo-
mat and the minister inspected the in-
frastructure of the recently established
Lyceum, its classrooms, residential
buildings, sport halls, canteen, and bas-
ketball and football pitches.
“Education and physical training are
Visit of Latvian General
The Chief of the Joint Staff of the
GAF, Major-General Devi Chankotadze
has met with the Chief of the Latvian
National Armed Forces, Major-General
Rymonds Graube.
During the course of the meeting,
they dealt with issues relating to defense
cooperation, ongoing participation in
peacekeeping missions, and the reforms
under way in the Georgian military.
The Latvian official, accompanied by
the Georgian Major-General visited Krt-
sanisi National Training Center. At a
briefing held after the inspection of the
training facility, Devi Chankotadze un-
derlined the importance of the long-
standing cooperation between the De-
fense Ministries of both countries: “I am
availing myself of the opportunity to
express my gratitude to the Latvian Min-
istry of Defense for their assistance dur-
ing and after the war of August 2008
well as for their preparation of Georgian
one of our priority directions. The open-
ing of the Lyceum is one more impor-
tant step forward, designed aid the re-
plenishment of the Georgian armed forc-
es. Considering the successful we have
seen with the school, another such cen-
ter is planned to be opened in western
Georgia”, stated the Defense Minister.
After taking a tour of the Lyceum,
the American Ambassador pointed to the
importance of the education of military
engineering officers. Latvian and Geor-
gian cooperation projects are based
around the training of high-profile mil-
itary personnel and the successful exe-
cution of our international peacekeep-
ing missions.”
“This is my first visit to Georgia in
MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF GEORGIA TODAY
3
New Rector Appointed
Andro Barnov has been appointed as dro Barnov will preside over the Nation-
the new Rector of the National Defense al Defense Academy. Together, we will
personnel in parallel to their physical Academy. Deputy Defense Minister, do our best to make the Academy one
training. “I’m very pleased to be here Nodar Kharshiladze introduced the mil- of the region’s most prestigious and
with Minister Akhalaia to see this mili- itary expert to Ministry officials; ac- modern institutions” declared the Dep-
tary lyceum; it’s an important piece of cording to Mr. Kharshiladze, Barnov is uty Minister.
the professional, military education sys- a leading expert in the spheres of de- “I have been working with the De-
tem here in Georgia. Fundamentally any fense and security who has worked fense Ministry now for several years,
military establishment is only as good closely with the ministry in the past on most notably in the field of education.
as the people in it, and I think it’s very defense reform and NATO integration. We are all agreed to make every effort
impressive that the Ministry has taken “Mr. Barnov has been cooperating to turn the Academy into the education-
this step to start building the right kinds with us for quite a long time in the ca- al establishments our country and armed
of minds to be Georgian soldiers in the pacity of an NGO advisor. This year, he forces deserve. I believe that we, through
future. This is part of the ongoing pro- has given special attention to the recent- our combined efforts, will be able to
cess to strengthen Georgia’s defense ly implemented education reforms. On succeed in this important endeavor”,
capabilities a US is a strong partner in the basis of our mutual agreement, An- said Mr Barnov.
this process,” said John Bass to journal-
ists.
There are currently a total of 300 ca-
dets from various parts of Georgia, se-
lected individual examination, studying
Homecoming Ceremony
in the Lyceum. Education at the school
is carried out on the basis of the nation-
al curriculum with an additional mili-
tary program which develops students’
physical capabilities, as well as teach-
ing history, military theory, topography
and informatics.
an official capacity”, Rymonds Graube
told journalists, “I should mention that
the Center’s infrastructure and its ad-
vanced technologies impressed me so
much that I am no longer surprised as
to why Georgian personnel receive such
great respect from the Coalition com-
manders. We also have the desire to con-
tinue cooperation in the field of military
education. The August armed conflict
was an important experience for Geor-
gia and it is interesting for us to learn
from this experience as well”, declared
Mr. Graube.
The Chief of the Latvian Armed Forc-
es paid tribute to the memory of soldiers
who lost their lives during the war and
laid a wreath at the Mukhatgverdi mili-
tary cemetery. The Latvian delegation
also visited the NATO-Georgian Center
for Professional Development.
As part of the official visit, the Latvi-
an official also visited Sachkhere Moun- The peacekeeping company of the want to wish every success to the sol-
tain Training School. Major-General Ry- Georgian Armed Forces has returned to diers currently serving in Afghanistan”
monds Graube left Georgia on 8 Decem- Georgia from Afghanistan. The First stated Devi Chankotadze.
ber. Deputy Defence Minister, Nikoloz Dz- The peacekeeping unit of the III In-
imsteishvili and Chief of Joint fantry Brigade has been participating in
Staff, Major-General Devi Chankotadze the ongoing NATO/ISAF operation as
greeted the soldiers. The Major-Gener- part of the French contingent. They have
al congratulated the servicemen on their been deployed in Afghanistan since May
safe return to the country and wished of 2010, performing defense and secu-
them every success. rity operations alongside the units from
“The Peacekeeping Contingent that NATO members and partner states.
has just come back from Afghanistan Up to 173 military servicemen of the
performed their duties fantastically. For- Georgian Land Forces have been en-
tunately, they were able to end their mis- gaged in the international security op-
sion without any casualties. During their eration for 6 months and have returned
service in Afghanistan, the soldiers to Georgia without any losses. They
gained useful experience. I would like were replaced in Kabul province by a
to congratulate our peacekeepers, armed new peacekeeping company, which is
forces and the whole country on their due to stay in Afghanistan for another 6
safe return to their homeland. Finally, I months.
4 MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF GEORGIA TODAY
“I am sure our guys will fight to the end”
Davit Ugrexelidze
You spent the 2009-2010 season
with the Slovenian team Luka Koper.
Why did you decide to return to the
Georgian championship?
Yes, I spent my previous season in Slo-
venia. I was looking for another team when
I was offered the chance to play for Army,
and I accepted proposal and came back to
Tbilisi. The team is very strong, both in
terms of its players and coaches. It’s a pret-
ty large team too with two or three player
for each position. We’re made up of some
of the best players in the league, we’re
ambitious and we’ve got what it takes to
win the championship.
Which club do you think is your
main competitor? Which teams in the
Super League, would you say were a
particular threat?
I couldn’t say exactly as the champi-
onship has just started. There are sever-
al teams that are really very strong. Each
of them will have the opportunity to test
their strength against ours.
Can you say a few words about the
national basketball team taking part
in the European Championship in
2011? Do you have any ambitions
with regard to the national team?
I am a big fan of our national basket-
ball team and of our country in general,
I follow them closely. In my opinion it’s
a great achievement for us to be able to
take part in the European Championship.
I am sure our guys will fight to the end.
As for me, personally, I think that I am
in good form and if I can do anything
for my team I won’t spare any effort.
You got married last year to a Slo-
venian wife. How often does she at-
tend your games? Do you enjoy do-
ing housework?
My wife and child attend almost all
my games. Despite the fact that my baby
is just 7-months-old, it likes basketball
very much. I try to be a good family
man. I lived alone in Slovenia before
Meeting with NGOs
The Georgian Minister of Defense,
Bacho Akhalaia has met with represen-
tatives from a number of non-govern-
mental organizations at the Vaziani mili-
tary base. Recent defense reforms were
the key topic of discussion at the meet-
ing focusing on military education and
the preparation of reservists. “Such meet-
ings are generally very productive and
enable NGOs to gather information on
ongoing developments in the defense
sphere,” said Andro Barnov following the
getting married so I am used to doing
housework and cooking.
How do you spend your free time?
Most of my time is dedicated to my
family and my child. But I always find
some time for my friends.
What is your favorite cuisine and dish?
I think that Georgian cuisine is the
best in the world. My favorite dish is
khinkali and khachapuri.
meeting. The experts were allowed to
inspect the Simulation Center at the mil-
itary base, and further visits to additional
Ministry facilities were arranged for the
near future. The Defense Ministry has
been cooperating with a number of NGOs
since 2005; from 2007, a Memorandum
of Understanding has been in effect be-
tween the Defense Ministry and the Civ-
il Council for Defense and Security sup-
porting cooperation between the armed
forces and civil society.
Davit Sakhvarelidze
Dato, you played for Basko in Ba-
tumi and for Tbilisi State University.
Besides that, you also played for the
French club Shalon. Afterwards you
left for the United States, where you
played for Saint Dominic’s College in
New York. What brought you back to
the Georgian Championship?
Seminar on Media Transparency
A seminar on media transparency in
relation to the defense sphere has been
held at the Defense Ministry. Partici-
pants in the meeting, which was orga-
nized within the framework of the
NATO-Georgia Professional Develop-
ment Program (PDP), included foreign
experts, journalists working on military
issues, representatives of NGOs, and
personnel from the Public Affairs De-
partment (PAD) of the MoD. Dr. Hari-
ton Bucur-Marcu, Associate Senior Fel-
low for Defense Policy at the Geneva
Center for the Democratic Control of
the Armed Forces attended the semi-
nar in the capacity of an invited guest.
Media transparency in the defense
sphere was also the main theme of dis-
cussions led by Mr. Marius Alekna and
Mr. Airis Rikveilis, PAD representa-
tives from the Defense Ministries of
Latvia and Lithuania respectively. The
Public Affairs Department of the Geor-
gian Defense Ministry, in its turn, gave
the audience information on the activi-
NATO Orientation Course
The Ministry of Defense has hosted
a NATO Orientation Course which cov-
ered the outcomes of the Lisbon Sum-
mit, the newly adopted Strategy Concept
and the future policy of the Alliance.
Similar courses are being conducted
within the framework of the NATO-
Georgia Professional Development Pro-
gram. NATO representative, Mr. David
Johnson, of the International Staff De-
fense Policy and Planning Division
DECEMBER 2010 ISSUE #42
I spent the last four years in New
York where I played basketball along-
side my studies. After finishing college,
I returned to Georgia to continue play-
ing in the Georgian championship with
Army. From the very beginning of my
life in America, I thought about coming
back to Georgia. After leaving college,
I had to decide whether to return to
Georgia or to continue playing in with a
ties it has carried out during 2010.
As part of the visit, the foreign
guests conducted meetings with the
leaderships of various departments of
the Defense Ministry and representa-
tives of a number of governmental
agencies. They also learned about the
information climate in the country from
the chiefs of leading Georgian media
outlets.
opened the meeting. “This training
course was an initiative of the Ministry
of Defense of Georgia, which asked us
to provide an orientation course for Joint
Staff and MoD personnel. They would
like to get a good overview of what
NATO does, what it is all about, what
are its purposes. This is the very first
course and we will be back to provide
other trainings in the future”, said Mr
Johnson. In the course of the meeting,
European team. I preferred to come back
and continue my basketball career here.
You play for Army which is in its
first year in the championship. Can
you tell us a little more about your
club?
While Army is only in its first year
of existence, we have great expectations
for the Championship. Army is made-
up of professional players, with the vet-
eran trainer, Levan Moseshvili. We hope
to win the Championship, and we’re
doing our best to reach first place. In the
future, we may also take part in interna-
tional tournaments.
You have played abroad a lot. How
does the Georgian championship
compare to other leagues?
As the Georgian National Team has
seen so much success of late, a lot more
people here are paying attention to bas-
ketball. This year we have eleven teams
participating in the Super League and
the level of competition is tough. We’re
seeing more people come along to
games and more and more attention
from the media, so I think that we’re
doing pretty well.
Which club do you think is Army’s
main rival? Is there anyone you would
single out?
Considering the strength of the teams
in the championship, I’d say we’ve got
a lot of good competition. We expect to
have a lot of tense and exciting matches
this coming season.
What are your plans with regard
to your future career? Do you plan
to continue playing abroad?
Army has long-term plans. As for me,
I intend to stay in Georgia and continue
playing for Army. Going abroad is not
in my plans for the next three years.
How do you spend your free time?
Throughout the whole week we are
very busy with training in the morning
and evenings. But on Saturday evenings
I try to spend time with my friends. On
Sundays, I like to go hiking.
Marius Alekna, Head of the Plan-
ning and Policy Division of the Public
Affairs Department of the Lithuanian
Ministry of Defense, told journalists
that his visit to Georgia sought to de-
veloping cooperation in the field of
public affairs. He explained that next
year, Latvia and Lithuania will collab-
orate intensively with the Georgian De-
fense Ministry in this regard.
Col. Juergen Schwarz, Head of the Spe-
cial Partnership Branch, IMS, and Mr.
Shalva Dzebisashvili, Defense Advisor
to the Georgian Mission to NATO, fo-
cused on the importance of the civilian
and military structures within NATO, the
organization’s goals and ongoing
NATO-Georgia partnership. In addition
to MoD and JS personnel, the training
course was attended by representatives
from different governmental agencies.