On Friday, the Warsaw said he expects from Tbilisi official explanation of the reasons why Georgian company did not arrive for NATO exercises “Anaconda-2016” with the participation of 31 thousand military personnel from 24 countries.
According to the press-Secretary of the operational command of the Polish armed forces Peter Valateka, “the Georgians were invited to participate in the exercise, they did not come. We await an official announcement about the reasons”.
On the eve of the Georgian defense Ministry reported that the disturbance was trivial chickenpox. Charlie company, 12th light infantry battalion of the fourth mechanized brigade of the Georgian Armed forces planned to participate in these military exercises. However, the division identified two cases of chicken pox. They got infected from their children. In order not to jeopardize other military, both from his country and from others, Tbilisi has decided not to participate.
The situation is very hurtful for Georgia, the progress in the rapprochement with NATO say the Western partners and the leaders of the Alliance.
Promises “worthy partner”
Recently near Tbilisi at the Vaziani military base held large-scale exercises of Georgian, American and British military “Worthy partner”, which was specially delivered to American tanks “Abrams” and other equipment.
May 26 independence Day of Georgia, NATO troops took part in the solemn events on Rustaveli Avenue and Freedom square in the Georgian capital. All this symbolized the “brotherhood in arms”.
At the July NATO summit, which will take place in the same Poland, Georgia will not receive a mandatory entry in the block “action Plan for membership, but relies on other incentives.
According to sources of the newspaper VIEW in the nation, the most attractive is the realization of the initiative of the Romanian creation of the black sea fleet, NATO is inviting Georgians and Ukrainians. In addition, the sources, Tbilisi especially hopes to deepen bilateral military-technical cooperation with the countries of the Alliance. As it did in the case of France, which began to gradually put Georgia advanced air defense systems, and in 2017 we will begin to train Georgians to work with them. That is, to offend the hosts of the NATO summit by participating in the exercises other reason than chickenpox, Georgia with no hands in the political sense.
Reports on the request “not to irritate Moscow” called fiction
The delegation of Georgia at the summit in Warsaw will be headed by President Giorgi Margvelashvili. He recently met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels. Before this forum, the Ministers of defense and foreign Affairs of Georgia visited the United States and other NATO countries, seeking greater favor.
Therefore, the Georgian foreign Ministry reports that Georgia’s rejection of participation in military exercises in Poland, allegedly motivated by the request of some European countries not to irritate Moscow, called “fiction”.
“Only in the USA in his speech, the foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze said that Georgia wants to join NATO, as this unit protects critical for our country’s values and ideals, said that NATO is the guarantor of the security of the free world, – said the foreign Ministry. The Minister noted that Georgia has made enormous progress in terms of integration into NATO, our country uses the annual program of cooperation, is adopted by the last summit of NATO in Wales “a significant package of support for Georgia,” the Commission NATO – Georgia… About a politically motivated rejection of the teachings can be said?”.
“Lot of questions”
The former chief of the General staff of the Georgian Guram Nikolaishvili in an interview with the newspaper OPINION stated that the “absolutely do not look scandalous versions.” According to him, it is likely that the organizers of the teachings, learning about the chicken pox could have asked the Georgians not to come.
“And suddenly an epidemic? The same field conditions. Imagine how many people can get infected! So nothing extraordinary. It happens in military life. Chickenpox, dysentery…”
According to him, the exercise in Poland was preparing this Georgian company, therefore, quickly replace it with another unit, could the script have been painted”: “it’s a Shame, but what to do. No political content to the search is not necessary”.
He noted that vaccination in the army of Georgia shall be held, but “everyone knows that chicken pox is such a thing – it’s hard to protect yourself if the child is not ill.”
The ex-Minister of defence of Georgia David Tevzadze said “do not think that Russia is “worked” to our soldiers did not go. But of course it is bad that are not involved. Need to draw conclusions, you need to pay more attention to the medical service in our armed forces. To her I have a lot of criticisms”.
But the former rector of the Diplomatic Academy of Georgia Soso Tsintsadze believes that “whatever the reason, the sediment remains from this story unpleasant.”
“The biggest doctrine, and we are not there. I hope it’s not as clumsy Georgian gesture – you do not give us an “action Plan for membership,” and we will not come to you for teachings. The chicken pox? Do we have only one advertising company for NATO exercises? A lot of questions!” he said.
Dmitry Aleksandrov, Tbilisi
Georgia, NATO exercises in Poland, military exercises
