Pentagon chief says US values Georgia as strategic partner
Pentagon chief says US values Georgia as strategic partner

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin thanked Georgian Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze “for extending such a warm welcome on my first visit to Georgia as Secretary of Defense.”

“The United States values Georgia as a strategic partner, and our support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering,” Lloyd Austin underscored.

US Secretary of Defense has arrived in Georgia on Monday. As part of a trip, Secretary Austin is visiting Georgia, Ukraine, and Romania and will participate in the NATO Defense Ministerial in Belgium.

The parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Georgia Defense and Deterrence Enhancement Initiative.

“This initiative marks a new phase of our bilateral security cooperation, and it demonstrates the U.S. commitment to supporting Georgia,” Lloyd Austin said in a tweet.