Georgian Army Celebrates Anniversary with Hope to Join NATO

12 years after the formation, Georgian Armed Forces are eager to join NATO, however lack of financing, military equipment and the qualified personnel hinders reforms aiming at transformation of the Georgian army to the Euro-Atlantic security standards. The western assistance remains only hope for the Georgian army in its NATO aspirations.

On April 30 Georgian Armed Forces celebrated 12 year anniversary. At the event dedicated to this date Georgia Defense Minister Davit Tevzadze said that the biggest achievement during the 12 years of existence of the Georgian Armed Forces was emergence of trends of sustained development.

“The most important thing is that we do develop. Of course we are not able to take over Baghdad, but already can do many other things,” David Tevzadze, Minister of Defense of Georgia, said on April 30, at the official event dedicated to the 12th anniversary of the Georgian Armed Forces.

Georgian Armed Forces started to drift towards the western standards after David Tevzadze was appointed on the post of the Defense Minister. He is the only one out of 6 Georgian defense ministers, to receive military education in the United States.

He was approved on the post with unanimous support of the Parliament 5 years ago, replacing Vardiko Nadibaidze, who was regarded as pro-Russian oriented. Process of drifting away from Russia and gradual transfer to the western standards in the Georgian military system is widely believed to be Tevzadze’s credit.
 
David Tevzadze connects the incapability of the Georgian army to ‘take over Baghdad’ with poor financing. “The Georgian army is prepared to deal with potential threat to the extent it is being financed,” Tevzadze said.

Remarkably, in 2003 budget funding of the armed forces were increased for the first time since 1997, reaching 62 million Lari level (approximately USD 29 million). However, statistics tell that financing remains increased only on paper: during the first quarter of this year the Defense Ministry received only 75% of funds.

Strong armed forces remain vital for Georgia, which suffers latent small-scale warfare in Abkhazia, with problems of violation of its borders by both irregular armed groups (for instance Chechen fighters) and by the unidentified aircraft.

“The armed forces severely suffer from the lack of equipment. Most outstanding problem is underdevelopment of the air force,” Koba Liklikadze, military expert and the Radio Liberty reporter told Civil Georgia.

He said that the latter issue has become particularly important after the repeated bombing of the Georgian territory by the Russian warplanes last year. One of these bombing raids claimed life of a Georgian citizen last August.

Georgian authorities say that the poor equipment of the Georgian army mainly is the result of failure to receive its share of the military property and equipment, which should have belonged to Georgia after collapse of the Soviet Union. The Georgian President has repeatedly accused the Russian side for leaving Georgia “only with several rusty tanks and military hardware.”

Experts say with regret that although the armed forces do develop, this happens only on expense of foreign assistance.

“Reforms are in progress in the armed forces, but the development depends more on foreign assistance rather than internal resources. The army needs much more attention from the government,” Koba Liklikadze says.

As experts say, increase of the defense budget in 2003 is primarily connected to the US-funded Train-and-Equip Program (GTEP), which is regarded as one of the most important events in the army during these 12 years. The Defense Ministry hopes that the four Georgian battalions, trained by the US military instructors in the frames of the GTEP will become the basis for the future Georgian professional army.

The American side is spending USD 64 million for the GTEP, becoming the biggest donor for the Georgian armed forces.

Turkey also makes very significant contribution to the development of the Georgian army. This leading country of the region undertook assistance in creation of the rapid deployment battalion in Georgia. Turkey has also provided technical assistance to the Georgian Military Academy.

Germany and Greece are the next two biggest providers of assistance in the military field. Germany will train the Georgian company, which will participate in peacekeeping operation in Kosovo. Previously 9 Georgian squads have participated in the same operation under the Turkish command.

Defense Minister David Tevzadze said that participation of the Georgian soldiers in PK operations should be regarded as one of the very significant achievement in the 12 years of existence of the Georgian army.

“It is very important that the Georgian flag flies over Kosovo. It is quite possible that we will see our flag in the Middle East in the nearest future as well,” Tevzadze said, hinting at the possibility of deployment of Georgian soldiers in Iraq. The consultations regarding the issue have been already started between the Georgia and United States.

Unfulfilled conscription plans remain as yet another major problem for the armed forces. The last, 2002 autumn conscription, was a complete failure. Reduction of the 2-year obligatory military service term by 6 months also did not improve the situation very much.

Conscripts and soldiers are trying to avoid military service because of inadequate conditions in the army. In some units nutrition ration of the soldiers does not even come close to the required level. Remarkably, soldiers, who have participated in May 2002 and March 2003 riots, named heavy social conditions as the main reason of their protest.

However, Defense Minister David Tevzadze explains abundance of facts of avoidance of the obligatory military service and desertion with “insufficient psychological preparedness” of the young men. He said that desertion rate is decreasing recently.

Despite numerous problems, the Georgian government keeps hoping that at least in five years time Georgia will become the NATO member. President Shevardnadze has made an official bid for joining alliance at the NATO Prague Summit in 2002. Shevardnadze is confident “in 2005 Georgia will knock the NATO door.”

By Goga Chanadiri, Civil Georgia