The United States will provide training and equipment for those Georgian forces, which are scheduled to be deployed in Afghanistan later this Autumn and next year, Matthew Bryza, an outgoing U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, told journalists in Tbilisi on August 10.

“We will indeed provide training and assistance to these Georgian soldiers, who will be putting their lives on the line in pursuit of our shared strategic interests and our common values,” Bryza, who met with senior Georgian officials and some opposition leaders, said.

“What we are not doing is simply coming up with a plan to provide a large number of new weapons that will be deployed here in Georgia – no; we are training and then providing equipment, the Georgian forces will need on the ground in Afghanistan,” he added.

He said that the U.S. and Russia shared common interest in defeating terrorism in Afghanistan.

“Anybody who is rational will be pleased that the United States is helping Georgia to develop its professional force, except for Taliban and other targets that will be fighting against these Georgian forces in Afghanistan,” Bryza said.

On August 6 the Georgian Parliament gave its green light to Georgian troops deployment in Afghanistan.

Georgia will to send an infantry company later this autumn and a battalion-size unit in 2010.

The infantry company will be deployed under the French forces and the battalion under the U.S. command; two servicemen will be stationed under the Turkish command.