During a phone conversation with his Georgian counterpart Irakli Alasania on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel expressed condolences for death of three Georgian troops in the May 13 insurgent attack on an outpost in the Helmand province of Afghanistan, the Georgian Ministry of Defense said.

MoD said that the during phone conversation Hagel and Alasania also discussed further cooperation in frames of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

MoD reiterated Georgia’s continued commitment to ISAF mission, as well as reiterated its readiness to continue its contribution after 2014, when the NATO combat mission is due to end.