Defense Initiative in Tbilisi Conference

Georgian defense and security experts, and their international partners, high-profile officials from the host country and partner states, including Levan Izoria, Minister of Defense of Georgia and General Denis Mercier, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, are hosting a conference in Tbilisi on the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package which started Monday 5 June.

Also involving Mikheil Janelidze, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, and Desislava Ivanova, the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Georgia, the opening also included a panel on the SNGP benefits for Georgia’s defense capacity-building.

Organized in Georgia for the first time, the conference involves the demonstration of the ways the SNGP can become a recurring model for NATO’s Defense and Related Security Capacity Building initiatives with partner countries.

It will see participants review structure, organization and implementation mechanisms of the NATO-Georgia program and involve discussions on subjects including:

• Interoperability of Georgia’s strategic and operational programs with governmental agencies, NATO member states and partners;
• The concept of Total Defense;
• Human, organizational, financial, infrastructural and educational resources.

The SNGP was launched between Georgia and the Alliance for "strengthening Georgia’s defense capabilities” and "developing closer security cooperation” with NATO member states.

Financially supported by contributions from states including France and Germany, it has involved defense capacity-building and training activities as well as multinational exercises over the last four years.

The 2018 Substantial NATO-Georgia Package Conference will run in Tbilisi between; June 4-6.

By Shawn Wayne