Georgian Defense Minister Visits Iraq

Georgian Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze left for Iraq on September 5 to inspect 159-strong unit of the Georgian Defense Ministry serving in this country.

Georgian servicemen belong to the 16th Sachkhere Mountain Batallion and were trained under US-funded Train-and-Equip (GTEP) program. They replaced 70 Georgian troops in in April as a part of the coalition forces. Georgian troops are a part of the coalition forces since August 2003.

Currently, 50 soldiers and officers of the 16th Mountain Battalion, are on training in Germany and are to be dispatched to Afghanistan by mid-September as a part of the German force.