U.S. DoD Official Visits Georgia

Davit Kezerashvili, the Georgian defense minister, met with visiting U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy, Daniel Fata, on April 18.

“The issue of prolongation of Georgia’s peacekeeping mission in Iraq for additional 6 months was discussed during the meeting,” the Georgian Ministry of Defense said.

Georgia increased its troop level in Iraq from 850 to 2,000 last year and it was originally planned to decrease that level to 300 this summer. Georgia, however, said after President Saakashvili visit to Washington in March that it would maintain current troop level in Iraq till the end of this year.