U.S., Georgian Defense Officials Meet at Pentagon

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2013 – Senior defense officials from the United States and Georgia met at the Pentagon yesterday for the U.S.-Georgia Bilateral Defense Consultations.

Evelyn N. Farkas -- deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia -- co-chaired the meeting with Georgian Deputy Defense Minister Misha Darchiashvili, Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said.

“These productive high-level ministry-to-ministry talks were an important opportunity to review our defense relationship and set the course for our cooperation into next year and beyond,” Lainez said in a statement summarizing the meeting.

In the meetings, she added, the leaders discussed all aspects of defense cooperation between their countries, including Georgia's defense reforms, preparing Georgian units deploying to NATO's mission in Afghanistan, wounded warrior care, and other areas of defense cooperation that will help Georgia meet its NATO partnership goals.

Farkas told Darchiashvili that the Defense Department remains committed to its strong partnership with the Georgian Defense Ministry and looks forward to continuing and strengthening all aspects of our close partnership and defense relationship, Lainez said.