Commander of NATO-led Forces in Afghanistan Visits Tbilisi
General John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan, visits Tbilisi to discuss Georgia’s “continuing contributions to peace and stability in Afghanistan,” the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi said on Monday.
Gen. John R. Allen will hold a series of meeting with senior Georgian government and military officials on January 30.
He will also visit and address Georgia’s 23rd infantry battalion at the Krtsanisi Training Center outside Tbilisi. The battalion is currently undergoing training to prepare for deployment in Afghanistan.
Georgia plans to send this year one additional infantry battalion to Afghanistan on top of 936 Georgian soldiers who already serve as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
As a result, after sending one more battalion – that is 749 soldiers – Georgia will become the largest non-NATO contributor to ASAF with total of 1,685 troops.
Georgia has lost twelve of its solider since joining NATO-led operation in Afghanistan in November, 2009. The Georgian troops in Afghanistan operate without caveats.