Estonian Defense Minister Jüri Luik, who was on a three-day official visit to Tbilisi on February 7-9, held a meeting with his Georgian counterpart Levan Izoria, and signed a bilateral defense cooperation plan that envisions closer partnership between the two countries.

According to the Estonian Defense Ministry, the two officials discussed “the security situation in the Black Sea region, broad-based bilateral support for cooperation in the field of cyber defense and international operations, and cooperation within the framework of NATO’s partnership policy.”

“Estonia and Georgia enjoy close bilateral defense cooperation: we participated in each other’s military training exercises, Estonia supports the training of Georgia’s servicemen, and cooperation in the field of cyber defense continues to grow stronger,” said Minister Luik.

The Estonian Defense Ministry also announced that Estonian servicemen would participate in the Noble Partner 2018 military exercise in Georgia, while Georgian servicemen would take part in the Siil 2018 military exercise in Estonia.

Speaking at a joint press briefing, Defense Minister Levan Izoria said Estonia “has always been supportive of Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration … and a strong supporter of our territorial integrity.”

Izoria thanked his Estonian counterpart for the country’s support of the cyber security component of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, and stressed that the two ministers agreed to continue prioritizing the field in future cooperation.

As part of his visit to Tbilisi, Defense Minister Jüri Luik met with Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili as well. He also visited the Cyber Security Bureau, a specialized unit under the Georgian Defense Ministry, and traveled to the occupation line near Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia.