NATO to Dispatch Liaison Officer to Georgia

Newly appointed NATO?s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Robert Simmons says that two liaison officers will be permanently stationed in each of the two regions he is appointed to oversee.

?A liaison officer in the Caucasus and a liaison officer who will be permanently stationed in Central Asia, and obviously I’ll work very closely and supervise their work as they assist those countries,? Robert Simmons, who is also NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Security Cooperation and Partnership, said in an interview, which was published on NATO official web-site.

He also said that the NATO liaison officer in the Caucasus will be stationed in Tbilisi and will work closely with the Defense Ministry.

?The goal of these [liasons] will probably be to put them in defense ministries, help the defense ministries understand the programs and the partnership programs NATO has to assist with their defense reform,? Robert Simmons added.

Robert Simmons was appointed as NATO’s Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia on September 15 as was agreed during the Summit in Istanbul in June, when NATO Allies agreed to place special focus on NATO?s relations with the Caucasus and Central Asia.