Georgia to receive U.S. funding for Afghan operation

Georgia is among those six countries, which will receive funding this year from the U.S. Department of State to help their troops operate with coalition forces in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said on March 26.

"Six of the programs will build capacity for forces of Georgia, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to work alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan," the Pentagon said.

In the notification sent to the Congress, the Pentagon said that total of USD 350 million is dedicated to this program this fiscal year. Pentagon also said that apart of the six nations, Yemen and the Philippines will also receive money from this funding to strengthen their militaries inside their countries.

Details of the programs, including descriptions, timelines and cost data, will come into focus after the Depart of Defense sends a second written notification to Congress, the Pentagon said.

Georgia, which already has 175 soldiers in Afghanistan serving under the French command, will send in April an infantry battalion without national caveats, which will be deployed alongside with the U.S. Marines in the province of Helmand. After the deployment of the battalion Georgia will become the largest per capital contributor to the Afghan operation.

Alexander Vershbow, the U.S. assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, said last October after security talks in Tbilisi, that the current focus of Washington's assistance to Georgian defense reforms was on doctrine, education and training and preparing Georgian troops for the Afghan deployment.


/Civil.ge/