Parliament to Endorse Iraq Involvement

Agreement with Kuwait to Help Georgian Military Participation in Iraq

Next week the Parliament of Georgia will discuss the Georgian-Kuwaiti agreement on the status of the Georgian military and civil personnel. Thus Georgia is preparing a legal foundation for sending its platoon-sized military unit to participate in Iraq peacekeeping operation.

According to the Georgian Ministry of Defense (MoD) the platoon will include one squadron of the Kojori Special Brigade, as well as the civil engineering and medical personnel. The Ministry is currently working to identify the personnel. The Georgian unit is to be deployed on one of the American bases in Kuwait.

“It has not been yet decided which base will be occupied by the Georgian platoon. Several options are considered,” Deputy Defense Minister of Georgia Gela Bezhuashvili told Civil Georgia on June 13.

“Georgia has expressed its support to the anti-Iraq coalition. Since overthrowing the Hussein’s regime, Georgia is willing to contribute to the Iraqi post-war rehabilitation. The Azeri platoon is already performing this mission in Karbala and Mosul. The Georgian officials do not talk about the objectives of the Georgian platoon, though I think that in this particular case the agreement with Kuwait is concluded as with a transit country to Iraq,” Koba Liklikadze, military observer at the Radio Liberty told Civil Georgia.

At the moment the draft agreement is studied at the State Chancellery and the Parliament. Parliament’s International Affairs Committee has already endorsed the draft on its May 10 hearing. As the committee reports, the Parliament should ratify the agreement during the spring session.

“As soon as [the parliament and the chancellery] will positively decide on the issue the MoD will be ready to immediately dispatch about eighty-member Georgian contingent to Kuwait,” Bezhuashvili said.

The agreement was concluded as a result of exchange of notes between Georgian Foreign Minister Irakli Menagharishvili and Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister Sheik Sabah al Ahmed al Sabah in April-May 2003.

The agreement concluded with Kuwait is similar to the US-Georgian military accord ratified by the Georgian Parliament in March 2003. Georgian Armed Forces will be able to enter and leave the country without visas and passports, using only the military and governmental ID. They will also enjoy privileges and immunities, similar to those of the administrative and technical staff of the embassy.

Under the agreement, transport vehicles, vessels and aircraft used by the Georgian Armed Forces are not subject to licensing and registration. The militaries can also use the Kuwaiti airfields and bring the necessary equipment without paying customs dues.

The agreement implies the withdrawal of Georgian troops from Kuwait at the willingness of one of the sides. It will be concluded for a term of 12 months.

Noteworthy, that the agreement does not imply extra budgetary expenditures. The Finance Ministry’s conclusion says, “the ministry [of Finance] will give its endorsement [to approve the draft] only in case all expenses are covered by the Defense Ministry and other relevant structures.” 

Georgian Deputy Defense Minister says that the Georgian side will have to cover expenses necessary for dispatching the troops to Iraq.

“After the deployment Georgina troops the American side will fund all the expenses of transportation of troops inside Iraq, as well as the food expenses,” Gela Bezhuashvili said.