TBILISI, July 24 (AVN) - Military experts of the NATO Allied Command Europe are completing the analysis of the Georgian Armed Forces resources, Chief-of-Staff Dzhoni Pirtskhalaishvili said on Monday.
The experts aim to draft proposals on the optimal spending of budget money allocated for the army maintenance in order to ensure the maximum level of its combat readiness under conditions of scarce financing, Pirtskhalaishvili told the Military News Agency.
The NATO-Georgian co-operation is developing at accelerated pace this year, the chief-of-staff noted. It is mostly due to Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze's statement declaring the country's willingness to seek admission to NATO in 2005. The NATO military, in turn, are trying to help Georgia prepare its army for adoption of the NATO standards by that time.
For this purpose, Georgian servicemen are taking part in NATO-sponsored events, Pirtskhalaishvili went on. In the first half of 2000, they were involved in almost 100 events, including large-scale joint manoeuvres, computerised and special trainings and exercises. Next year, Georgia will for the first time host the Co-operative Partner 2001 multinational exercise held under the auspices of the Partnership for Peace programme.
Thanks to close co-operation with the North Atlantic Alliance, a Georgian platoon could take part in the international peacekeeping operation in Kosovo, the chief-of-staff stressed. Its personnel will be rotated again in September, he added.
The new Georgian envoy to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in the Belgian town of Mons will also take office in September. Colonel David Nairashvili currently first deputy chief-of-staff, will be appointed to the post.