Georgia Plans to Increase Number of Troops

Parliament is discussing an initiative of President Saakashvili envisaging an increase in the personnel cap on the Georgian armed forces from the current 32,000 to 37,000.

According to the Ministry of Defense, there are currently 28,991 servicemen in the armed forces, including 366 civilians.

MP Nika Rurua, the deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee for defense and security, said the planned increase was conditioned by “first of all, an intensification of the existing threats.”

“These additional 5,000 servicemen will join to various military units, but the priority will be the air forces and navy,” Batu Kutelia, the Georgian deputy defense minister, said on July 14. “Priority is to recruit highly-qualified personnel.”

MP Rurua said the increase would also help Georgia “to fulfill our international commitments more effectively.”

“I mean that participation in peacekeeping operations should not take place at the expense of [defending against] internal Georgian threats,” MP Rurua said.

Georgia has 2,000 soldiers deployed in Iraq.

Parliament is expected to approve the proposal on July 15.

On the same day the Parliament is also expected to approve amendments to the 2008 state budget, envisaging GEL 295 million in additional funding for the Ministry of Defense.
 
The increase, if approved, will bring defense spending to GEL 1.395 billion this year.