Georgia may increase its military contingent in Central Africa
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, June 1
During a meeting held on May 30, the National Security Council recommended to the President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, that Georgia increase its military contingent in the Republic of Central Africa (RCA).
The National Security Council’s (NSC) Secretary, Irine Imerlishvili, revealed the issues discussed during the closed session after the meeting. According to her, only five Georgian soldiers are serving in the European Union (EU) peacekeeping mission in Central Africa and Mali, and the President was recommended that he increase this number to twenty soldiers.
“I hope the Parliament and the President will share the recommendation,” stated Imerlishvili.
The UN-mandated EU peacekeeping mission, referred to as EUFOR RCA, is based in Bangui and the goal of the mission is to stabilize the area after more than a year of internal conflict. Georgian troops are serving in EUFOR RCA mission since April 2014, while an agreement about the mission was reached in January 2014.
According to the Secretary, the other key-issues of the meeting were upcoming NATO Warsaw summit and strengthening security measures at the border of the occupied territories of Georgia.
Imerlishvili stated that the Foreign Minister, the Interior Minister and the State Security Agency were commissioned by Margvelashvili to hold a meeting with the European Union Monitoring Mission and discuss the issues related to security at the occupied territories, especially at the border of Abkhazia, where several days ago a 31 year old Georgian citizen was brutally killed by the separatist’s border guards on territory controlled by Georgia.
Moreover, the Security Council Secretary noted that the President will lead the Georgian delegation to the NATO Warsaw summit to be held on 8-9 July. The Georgian side expects that the communique will increase and strengthen Georgia’s self-defense capabilities.
The National Security Council is an advisory body to the President of Georgia and is empowered with considering issues determined by the Organic Law on National Security Council of Georgia to draft political decisions.
Statutory Members of the NSC meetings are the Prime Minister; Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia; Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia; Minister of Defence of Georgia; Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia; Chairman of the Defence and Security Committee of the Parliament of Georgia and the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament of Georgia.
