Georgia marks Armed Forces Day

Georgian top officials congratulated the country’s military staff on the Day of Armed Forces at the Vaziani military base on the outskirts of Tbilisi. Photo: Defence Ministry press office.
Agenda.ge, 30 Apr 2018 - 14:50, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgia marks the 27th anniversary from the creation of the Georgian Armed Forces today.

Delivering a speech in honour of the event, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili stated that the government has spared no efforts to create worthy conditions for the Georgian Armed Forces staff.

Today, at the Vaziani military base we have the first Georgian unit which will start trainings within the frames of the Georgian Defence Response Program (GDRP) [starting] from next month.
It will be a three-year program, training nine maneuvering units in total,” Kvirikashvili stated.

He said that caring for Georgian soldiers, "for Georgia’s devoted protectors,” is the state’s primary obligation.

Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili stated that the country "relied on its soldiers and the soldiers could also rely on the government.”

Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria thanked Georgian soldiers for their merit and devotion and stated that the current state government was taking steps to ensure relevant financial compensations for military staff.

Georgian PM congratuleted soldiers on the day. Photo: Prime Minister's press office. 

Izoria spoke about the battalions which will be trained within the GDRP and stated that the participant units will be equipped in line with NATO standards.

We also intend to further improve salary conditions for the battalions,” Izoria said.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the country will never forget the names of those soldiers who died on duty, both on the territory of Georgia and in foreign peace missions.

On April 24, 1991, Georgia’s cabinet of ministers issued a decree to recruit the country’s youth for compulsory military service. Conscription into the army officially launched on April 30 of that year.