TBILISI. Nov 15 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian Defense Ministry initiated an optimization reform, Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze told reporters Monday.
"The reform will be conducted at the office of the Defense Minister, the General Staff, other administrative institutions, all branches and services, and the National Guards," he said.
According to him, it is aimed to optimize the structure, i.e. to have as many servicemen as really needed.
He added that not all units and detachments would reduce their strength. "Maneuver units will even grow in strength, and the quality of their training will improve with the optimization achieved, " he said.
He stressed that the reform is based on two directives by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
"One of the directives provides for disbanding the Interior Ministry Forces, whose heavy vehicles and artillery have already been handed over to the Defense Ministry. The other one institutes the National Gendarmerie within the Interior Ministry structure," he said.
The Georgian Defense Ministry earlier told Interfax-Military News Agency that the strength of the Georgian army will not exceed 15,000 people, as recommended by Western military experts.