The Georgian authorities must do their part to strengthen democracy in order to bring the country closer to the West, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th October, 2021) The Georgian authorities must do their part to strengthen democracy in order to bring the country closer to the West, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Monday.
"(T)he Georgian government must do its part by leveraging US support to strengthen Georgia's democracy, to make the fundamental reforms necessary to bring Georgia even closer to the West," Austin said during a press briefing in Tbilisi.
Austin also announced that the Georgia Defense Deterrence Enhancement Initiative between Washington and Tbilisi has been signed to advance security cooperation between the two countries. The Defense Secretary said the new initiative would be the next step in furthering Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration.
With respect to Russia's offer of a new "3+3" discussion platform in the Caucasus, Austin dismissed the idea noting that Moscow should honor ceasefire commitments before promoting any new platforms.
Austin arrived in the Georgian capital earlier on Monday and is scheduled to meet with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. The US Defense Secretary is also scheduled to visit a Georgian army base and attend joint exercises of US and Georgian military personnel.
On Friday, the Defense Department announced that Austin would travel to Europe to visit Georgia, Ukraine and Romania, as well as participate in the meeting of NATO defense ministers in Belgium.
During his meetings with his European counterparts, Austin is expected to discuss cooperation in the Black Sea region, among other regional and global security issues. He is also expected to comment on Georgia's and Ukraine's prospects for NATO membership.
