About Civil.ge
Eng | Geo | Rus
Last updated: 10:55 - 1 May.'18
RSS
Mobile
Twitter
Facebook
Sen. McCain: Georgia Needs U.S. Support to Rebuild its Defense
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 9 Aug.'10 / 12:38

Two years after the August war rebuilding Georgia’s defense, including through possible supply of anti-tank, air defense and early-warning radar systems, is one of the areas in which Tbilisi needs U.S. long-term support, U.S. Republican senator, John McCain wrote in his opinion piece published in the Washington Post on August 8.

Senator McCain said that despite Georgia’s significant contribution to the Afghan operation, “yet it has been a struggle to get the [U.S.] administration to provide Georgian troops heading into combat even basic equipment, armored vehicles and replacement parts.”

“Beyond this short-term assistance, Georgia needs long-term support to provide for its own defense. This is likely to entail antitank capabilities, air defenses, early-warning radar and other defensive systems that should not be misconstrued as U.S. endorsement for any Georgian use of force against its separatist regions. Georgia will always be less powerful than Russia, but that is no reason to leave it vulnerable two years after a Russian invasion,” McCain wrote.

When asked in June why the U.S. had not fulfilled any of Georgia’s request for arms in last couple of years, Philip Gordon, the assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, responded, that after the August war Washington was focused on “reducing tensions” and trying to get Russian to follow its commitments under the August 12, 2008 ceasefire agreement and to respect Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“We don’t think that arms sales and military equipment is the path to the situation in Georgia that we’re trying to get to,” Gordon said. He also said that the U.S. had no arms embargo on Georgia.

When asked at a joint news conference with visiting U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, in Tbilisi on July 5 about “de facto restrictions” on sale of U.S. arms to Georgia, President Saakashvili responded that Georgia had “very good security cooperation” with the United States and brought an example of Georgia’s contribution to the Afghan operation.

Saakashvili said that this security cooperation “is a process, a step-by-step approach” and “there is nothing to complain about” the U.S. policy on this issue.

In an interview with Itar-Tass news agency last week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said, that Moscow was insisting on imposing “broad international embargo” on supply of arms to Georgia.

“It can be said today, that many of those, who were active supplies of arms to Georgia in the past, have analyzed policy of the current leadership in Tbilisi and reconsidered their approach,” Karasin said. “But the problem is still too far from being resolved.”

Latest News
01 May.'18 10:55
We Have Moved to a New Platform
Direct Your Bookmarks to https://civil.ge.
29 Apr.'18 03:54
Ruling Party Candidate Wins MP By-Elections
Givi Chichinadze will represent Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency in the Parliament of Georgia.
28 Apr.'18 09:40
Polls Open for Vani and Khoni MP By-Elections
48,123 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency.
27 Apr.'18 17:23
State Dept’s Europe Affairs Point Man to Visit Tbilisi
Wess Mitchell will meet senior government officials and address the NATO-Georgia Public Diplomacy Forum.
27 Apr.'18 13:45
In Quotes: Georgian Politicians on Ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Comeback
Bidzina Ivanishvili will be approved as the Georgian Dream party chairman at the upcoming convention.
26 Apr.'18 18:15
SG Jens Stoltenberg: Georgia NATO’s ‘Very Close’ Partner
The NATO Secretary General says Foreign Ministers meeting tomorrow will recognize the country’s progress.
26 Apr.'18 14:24
Ex-PM Ivanishvili to Chair Georgian Dream Party
Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said Ivanishvili was ‘best equipped’ to add new dynamism to the party.
26 Apr.'18 11:12
Lawmaker Proposes Criminal Liability for ‘Insult of Religious Feelings’
The parliamentary human rights committee decided to set up a working group for scrutinizing the draft law.
25 Apr.'18 17:21
New Abkhaz Government Head Appointed
Gennady Gagulia has served as the Abkhaz “prime minister” twice - in 1995-1997, and 2002-2003.
25 Apr.'18 14:43
Watchdog Improves Georgia’s Press Freedom Ranking
None of the countries of the former Soviet Union (except the Baltics) are ranked ahead of Georgia.

About Civil Georgia
Civil.Ge © 2001-2025, Daily News Online
Registered office: 2 Dolidze Str, 4-th Floor.
18