Georgian ambassador to the United States Davit Bakradze met with Michael Carpenter, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, on January 9.

“The sides discussed the possibility of holding the NATO-Georgia Commission meeting within the meeting of NATO Defense Ministers,” according to the Georgian Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Bakradze and Carpenter discussed the main issues of Georgia-U.S. strategic partnership and stressed the importance of the Memorandum on Deepening the Defense and Security Partnership signed during the visit of U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry to Tbilisi in July, 2016.

Bakradze briefed the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense on Georgia’s ongoing and planned reforms, including on the implementation of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package.

The U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense reiterated the U.S. support to Georgia’s territorial integrity and the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, the Georgian MFA added.

As part of the Michael Carpenter’s last visit to Tbilisi on December 6, 2016 U.S. and Georgia signed the Framework Agreement on Security Cooperation for 2016-2019.