MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF GEORGIA
Lisbon Summit
On 19-20 November, leaders
from member states and partners
of the North Atlantic Treaty Or-
ganization (NATO), met in Lis-
bon to adopt a new Strategic
Concept that will serve as the
alliance’s roadmap for the next
10 years. The summit conclud-
ed in a number of decisions that
will mean profound changes for
the way NATO does business,
making the Alliance more effec-
tive, more efficient and more
engaged with the wider world.
During the two-day meeting,
alongside discussions on the de-
velopment of new structures to
defend against modern threats
such as ballistic missiles and cy-
ber attacks, the international or-
ganization launched a process by
which Afghan security forces
will increasingly take the lead in
security operations across the
country.
On the second day of the
summit, the 28 NATO member
states were joined by 20 partner
states who currently contribute
forces to the mission in Afghan-
istan, as well as representatives
from the United Nations, the
World Bank and the European
Union, in addition to the Afghan
President, Hamid Karzai.
The President of Georgia,
Mikheil Saakashvili attended a
meeting of nations contributing
to the ISAF mission in Afghani-
stan. During the meeting he in-
formed his counterparts about
Georgia’s role in the mission,
voiced the offer of sending 20
instructors to help train Afghan
security forces, and declared that
Georgia plans to increase its con-
tribution above the current 950-
strong contingent currently serv-
ing in Afghanistan.
The Georgian Minister of
Defense, Bacho Akhalaia com-
mented on the new training ini-
tiative. “The proposal that Geor-
gia has made today is very im-
portant. The key issue today for
the ISAF is the training of armed
forces - the preparation of the
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
Afghan Army. We have offered
to send Georgian military in-
structors to provide training for
the Afghan military in a range of
areas. It might be a land squad-
ron, or perhaps aviation. This is
our proposal,” Mr. Akhalaia stat-
ed.
NATO Secretary General,
Anders Fogh Rasmussen opened
a meeting of Heads of State and
Government to discuss Afghan-
istan. In his opening remarks, the
Secretary General declared: “To-
day marks the beginning of a
new phase in our mission in Af-
ghanistan. We will launch the
process by which the Afghan
government will take leadership
for security throughout the coun-
try, district by district, province
by province. The direction, start-
ing today, is clear: towards Af-
ghan leadership, and Afghan
ownership. That is the vision
President Karzai has set out. It
is a vision we share, and we will
make it a reality, starting early
next year. But let there be no
doubt of our continuing commit-
ment. Afghanistan’s fight against
terrorism is of strategic, global
importance. Success matters as
much to us as it does to the Af-
ghan people. This is why we will
agree here today a long-term
partnership between NATO and
Afghanistan to endure beyond
the end of our combat mission.
If the enemies of Afghanistan
have the idea that they can just
wait it out until we leave, they
have the wrong idea. We will
stay as long as it takes to finish
our job.”
The NATO Secretary Gener-
al also signed an agreement with
President Karzai on a long-term
partnership between the Alliance
and Afghanistan that will endure
beyond the end of the combat
mission. Under this partnership,
NATO will stay on as long as
necessary to support Afghanistan
until it can no longer become a
safe haven for terrorism.
The United States President,
C NATO
Barak Obama extended his ap-
preciation to the Georgian armed
forces for their successful partic-
ipation in the NATO-led ISAF
mission. On the sidelines of the
summit, Mikheil Saakashvili
met the US President at a closed-
door meeting where the two
leaders discussed strategic bilat-
eral cooperation and Georgian
involvement in Afghanistan.
Obama expressed his sincere re-
gret for the casualties recently
suffered by the Georgian armed
forces and thanked them again
for their contribution to the mis-
sion. The US president also drew
attention to the reforms under-
taken in Georgia. During the
meeting he reaffirmed the Unit-
ed State’s support for Georgia’s
aspiration towards NATO and
Euro-Atlantic integration.
Georgia’s engagement in the
NATO mission was also posi-
tively evaluated by the NATO
special representative, James
Appathurai who pointed out that
Georgia is not a passive ‘con-
sumer’ but an important contrib-
utor to global security.
President Saakashvili stated
that Georgia would remain com-
mitted to the Afghan mission
until it is accomplished in re-
marks at a meeting with the Ca-
nadian Prime Minister, Stephen
Harper. “You know we are the
second biggest per-capita con-
tributors to Afghanistan in terms
of the number of troops we have
committed. We have no caveats,
we are fighting alongside the
Americans, Canadians, and Brit-
ish; and we are willing to stay
there until the mission is accom-
plished,” he said.
With regard to Georgian ac-
cession to the transatlantic orga-
nization, the final declaration of
Lisbon summit reiterated the
decision taken at the 2008 Bu-
charest summit that Georgia will
one day become a member of the
Alliance.
Continued on p.3
NOVEMBER 2010 ISSUE #41
Oath Taking Ceremony
On November 23, a total of trainings involved the individ- and once again I swear loudly
799 new recruits were sworn ual preparation of soldiers as that I’m ready to serve my
into the GAF. A solemn ceremo- well as lessons on first aid and motherland faithfully,” declared
ny to mark the occasion was military regulations. In the sec- recruit, Erekle Nemsitsveridze.
held at the Gelati monastery ond stage of training, the ser- The ceremony was attended by
complex in Kutaisi. The cere- vicemen will have to learn how the families of recruits and stu-
mony was attended by the Ma- to evacuate the wounded from dents at the Cadets’ Military Ly-
jor-General Devi Tchankotadze, the battlefield, fire a range of ceum. “I am a student of the Ca-
Joint Chief of Staff of the GAF, weaponry, communicate effec- dets’ Military Lyceum. I have to
and other leading figures from tively and participate in tactical go through certain processes be-
the MoD and JS. The soldiers operations. fore I can become a soldier.
were blessed by Father Kalis- “It is a very important day What I see here today in Gelati
trate who wished them every for us. It is one thing to have the is a great incentive for me. I
success in accomplishing their desire to become a soldier, and hope soon I’ll be able to swear
duties. another when you take this re- allegiance to my motherland
“The Ministry of Defense of sponsibility before your state, like a real soldier,” stated a stu-
Georgia will do its utmost to God and motherland by oath. I dent of the Cadets’ Lyceum,
help these guys in becoming want to be an honorable soldier, Mikheil Chogovadze.
successful military servicemen.
It is very difficult to be a sol-
dier by profession. It requires
intensive training, personal
readiness and zeal,” declared
Col. Arsen Tsukhishvili, Depu-
ty Chief of Joint Staff of the
GAF.
There were 1,473 recruits
enrolled on the basic combat
training course, with at present
1,108 of them continuing their
studies at the 3rd Infantry Bri-
gade base. Over a five-week pe-
riod, they have been delivered
both theoretical and practical
knowledge to give them the
skills they require to effective-
ly perform their duties. The
INSIDE
Cyber Space – A 31st Battalion
new challenge Welcomed Home
for the 21st Century
Workshop on the
Michelle Obama cyber security
visited injured Visit of the
Georgian Catholicos
peacekeepers Patriarch
2 MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 2010 ISSUE #41

Cyber Space – A new challenge

for the 21 Century
st
Throughout the developed world, governments, defense infrastructure, and com- tion with criminal intent which is name, what was the first school you
panies in key sectors are increasingly being targeted by overlapping surges of cyber threatening you. Wherever it is, what- went to, what is the name of your dog.
attacks from criminals and nation-states seeking economic or military advantage. The ever it is we have to tackle all these They can ask these extra questions if
number of attacks is now so large and so sophisticated, that many organizations are aspects of cyber security. they want to check who you are online.
having trouble determining which new threats and vulnerabilities pose the greatest “Cyber security” is a term that If you have Facebook page that lists
risk, and how resources should be allocated to ensure that the most probable and has come to have a thousand mean- your favorite dog and these sorts of
damaging attacks are dealt with first. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that most ings and none at all. Any crime, things on it, you may find yourself in
organizations do not have an internet-wide view of the attacks. Cyber space touches prank, intelligence operation, or trouble - this is information which
nearly every part of our daily lives - it is the broadband networks beneath us and the government sponsored attack which somebody can use to impersonate you.
wireless signals around us, the local networks in our schools, hospitals and business- involves a computer has become a Cyber criminals are not always genius-
es, and the massive grids that power our nation and the world. It is also in the classi- “cyber threat.” How can you define es; they are often opportunists that will
fied military and intelligence networks that keep us safe, and the World Wide Web that this threat in the contemporary use flaws in your security to attack you.
has made us more interconnected than at any time in human history. We must secure world? We also have to be aware that not ev-
our cyberspace to ensure that our nation’s economy can grow and that our way of life It’s certainly the UK’s view that it erything you see and read in cyber
can be protected. is one of the top four threats to the na- space is true. Social networks in some
tion. When somebody attacks our fi- got the people to operate the systems, ways are great, but you have to make
Defense Today spoke to an expert tainly a cyber element to the conflict. nances, stealing our financial and in- or you lack the processes to recognize sure you know to whom you are talk-
from the UK’s Cyber Security & In- In 2007, Estonia faced a cyber attack tellectual assets through cyber espio- that an attack is happening. You’ve got ing. There is good behavior you can
formation Assurance Office, LTC Ni- without physical support, but this form nage it’s an attack on our way of life. to have all of these pieces in place. In employ when using Facebook or Twit-
gel Harrison, who talked in detail of cyber warfare something else we From our perspective in the UK, in terms of defending against a cyber at- ter, and lots of good advice online. As
about social networks, cooperation be- have to look at as well. We have to tack- terms of cyber security or cyber space, tack in whatever form it may take, it’s a medium, it should not be ignored -
tween governmental organizations and le all of these issues. Some are perma- there is both a high likelihood of at- a combination of things that keep you it’s a very powerful tool. There are 5
giving recommendations on how to nent, real, present things - cyber crime tacks, and there is a high potential for safe. hundred million people on FACE-
minimize the cyber threat. and cyber espionage happen everyday, serious damage from them as well. In the modern world, social me- BOOK. It’s a very good way of getting
You have just taken part in a all the time. Fortunately, cyber terror- That’s why it is taken so seriously. dia is becoming increasingly impor- to people, to get your messages out, to
round table supported by Trustcorp ism has not been used to date, but it’s There are many risks, some more tant. At the most basic level, social interact with people. We should not dis-
within the framework of the NATO not going to be long until something serious than others. Among these media is about community building, miss it but we need to be aware of the
Professional Development Program. happens in that sense. Cyber warfare dangers are viruses that can erase Government agencies all around the risks.
What place does cyber security have will come along and go away and we your entire system, someone break- world have adopted this mindset to At the 2002 Prague Summit,
in the Georgian national security have to be prepared for it when it hap- ing into your system and altering or varying degrees as a way to foster NATO leaders, recognizing the
context, and what should be the role pens. stealing files, someone using your trust and dialogue with their people. threat to critical infrastructure from
of governmental agencies in ensur- Within the UK, we see that it’s not computer to attack others. What However, the nature of these sites terrorism, announced the implemen-
ing Georgia’s cyber security? the responsibility of one single depart- steps we can take to minimize the also introduces a security risk. What tation of a NATO Cyber Defense Pro-
I think it is not just a defense issue, ment, i.e. the responsibility of the Min- chances of any of these things hap- certain precautions should we take? gram. The NATO Communication
it is a national security issue and you istry of Defense or the Home Office, pening? Individuals should take responsibil- and Information System Services
have to look at it in that perspective. nor the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, There are steps we have to take: we ity for their own information. They Agency (NCSA) is NATO’s first line
Cyber space is a new domain and it af- Business, or Education; they all have a have to look at training, education and need to be aware that putting something of defense against cyber attacks. How
fects everybody, from individuals and part to play. We’ve got to look at regu- of course technical measures. We need on the internet is like a sending a post- does it work and is it possible to pro-
companies to nations and governments. lations, legal issues, business incen- to develop our ability to understand and card, it’s not like a sending a letter. It’s tect its partners - non-NATO mem-
It’s a global problem and we have to tives, and education to try to build skills detect attacks. There are organization- not inside an envelope, it is there for ber countries during a crisis?
tackle it globally. The national securi- for everybody and develop specialists al issues, technological issues; there are everybody to see. You should not put As I understand it, NATO’s respon-
ty aspect looks at tackling cyber crime, who can deal with the problem. We issues surrounding processes and peo- things on the internet that can embar- sibilities in this area are primarily to-
cyber espionage, and potentially cyber can’t just do it nationally either, we’ve ple. We have to look at these things as rass you, or which give way personal wards NATO networks. So it’s respon-
terrorism - where terrorists could use got to do it internationally, through a whole if we are genuine about doing details. It’s very easy to see things sible for defending NATO communi-
cyber attacks to attack our transport NATO, the EU, the UN and through things properly. It’s no good having the which can let you down very easily. For cations. It’s not responsible for the de-
system or our utilities. Finally, it can what ever means we have, because best processes in the world if you example, some banks in the UK ask for fense of military networks in the UK
be used in cyber warfare as an element these are genuine, global problems. It haven’t got trained people to use them. information to help verify who you are. or Germany, and it certainly doesn’t
of a real attack; this took place here in can be criminal gangs operating any- It’s no good having all the technology They ask different sorts of questions, have responsibility for French or Ital-
Georgia in 2008 where there was cer- where in the world or it could be a na- and all the investment if you have not like what is your mother’s middle ian civilian communication.

After hearing about the United
Kingdom’s experience, Defense Today
spoke to the Head of the Cyber Secu-
rity Department of Estonia, Mr. Raul
Rikk about cyber security as a modern
threat and the new cyber super-weap-
on. In his conversation, Mr. Rikk gave
us some advice on how to avoid risks
and how not to become victims of the
World Wide Web.
Georgia has recently hosted the
International Conference “Georgian
Cyber Security and ICT Innovation
2010.” What was the main objective
of the Conference?
The main objective was to raise
awareness of the issue. Many countries
struggle against cyber attacks, but there
are not many good solutions which
could help countries protect them-
selves. The conference yesterday fo-
cused on raising awareness, it func-
tioned as a forum for discussion on a
range of cyber security topics. For ex-
ample, we discussed threats; cyber
space; and how states can protect them-
selves, organizations and individuals
from cyber attacks. Georgia is current-
ly developing very interesting electron-
ic and e-government services and so-
lutions, if this is how it will increas-
ingly interact with its citizens, it has to
be aware what the threats are in order
to implement these electronic solutions
safely and effectively. That is why cy-
ber security is so important.
This year’s event aims to attract
the attention of policymakers and so-
ciety to the challenges of cyber secu-
rity in addition to working on tools
for regional partnership and cooper-
ation. What are your recommenda-
tions for participants?
The measures that can be taken are
varied and numerous. Many people
think that cyber security is only about
technical measures. If I protect my
computer, or the organization’s IT per-
sonnel protects the network, many peo-
ple think that that is enough, but it’s
not so. There are more measures: Of
course, you have to implement techni-
cal measures, like having software sys-
tems, network security, etc. But there
are educational measures, legal mea-
sures and organizational measures that
must be taken too. For example, first
you need organization to monitor cy-
ber attacks. You have to raise aware-
ness, about what is going in national
and international cyber space. If you
see that there is something wrong, you
need a special police department which
can deal with the criminals. You have
to have some troops who are working
on the problem if there is wider attack
like the one you saw in 2008. If you
are able to catch cyber criminals you
have to have a proper legal system to
convict them - if you don’t you can not
do anything. Finally, you have to edu-
cate your people to have a better un-
derstanding of how to protect personal
computers and how to operate in cyber
space.
The cyber threat is one of the most
serious economic and national secu-
rity challenges we face in the mod-
ern world. It seems that everything
relies on computers and the internet
– for communication, entertainment,
transportation, shopping, medicine,
the list goes on. Why is cyber securi-
ty a problem?
The main problem is that in cyber
space there are no borders between na-
tions. All nations are equally important,
and I can say that in cyber space - ev-
eryone is your neighbor, not only Rus-
sia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. If a cy-
ber attack comes from Brazil, Indone-
sia, the US or the UK, you have to deal
with these things as well. One problem
is that there are no borders. The other
thing is that you cannot easily identify
who is behind a cyber attack. There-
fore, if you see the effects of a cyber
attack (which is not always easy) you
can’t immediately identify the perpe-
trator. If somebody attacks you in the
physical world with troops and tanks,
everything is clear, you know who the
attacker is; but in the cyber world, you
don’t know that. That makes it hard to
tackle the problem.
We know that well-placed spy
software not only opens a window for
an adversary to look into our mili-
tary operations. That window can be
used to extract information - every-
thing from drone video feeds to am-
munition requests and intelligence
reports. Such an opening also gives
an enemy a chance to introduce their
own false data, turning our com-
mand-and-control systems against
ourselves. What can we do to avoid
these risks?
First, you have to have a national
security strategy; this strategy should
clearly identify each ministry’s individ-
ual role, because one ministry alone
cannot solve the problem. In addition,
you need a coordinator; an expert in the
field who will be responsible for na-
tional cyber security. This person is
needed to coordinate initiatives and
tasks between ministries. These are two
things, and of course, as I mentioned,
technical security is important: anti-vi-
rus software, patches and so on, as are
education programs, and awareness
raising projects. This goes for the mil-
itary as well, if a soldier uses commu-
nication systems incorrectly, somebody
else may be able to intercept critical in-
formation. A lot has to be done. There
is no one magic bullet which can solve
all problems. There needs to be a com-
prehensive approach by the whole na-
tion.
The cyber super-weapon is a re-
ality. Russia has used such attacks
against Estonia and Georgia. Experts
say that the cyber-attacks used
against Georgia represented im-
provements over the techniques used
against Estonia in the spring of 2007.
Cyber defense requires cooperation
between like-minded countries. Is
there any possibility of Georgia and
the Baltic states establishing some
form of joint cyber-shield?
I don’t think that this would be that
helpful. As I said, cyber attacks could
come from Indonesia, China, Brazil,
and the United States. However, I agree
that international cooperation in the
field is important, but I don’t know this
could be achieved. If the countries
which have an interest in a secure in-
ternet can cooperate somehow, they can
create more secure environments and
put pressure on the countries that har-
bor cyber criminals and cyber terror-
ists, or countries which have attacked
other countries on a national level, then
maybe some change could be achieved.
I think that international cooperation
has to take place on a much larger scale
than you suggest.
Irakli Gurgenidze
NOVEMBER 2010 ISSUE #41
Michelle Obama visited injured
Georgian peacekeepers
The 31st Battalion of Geor-
gian Armed Forces has already
returned to Georgia. The Geor-
gian military had been serving in
the ISAF mission in Afghani-
stan, in the province of Helmand,
as part of the US peacekeeping
contingent. The mission’s lead-
ership heaped praise on the ser-
vice of the Battalion’s personnel,
which numbers around 749 sol-
diers. The Ministry of Defense
once again extended its deepest
condolences and sympathy to the
families of the soldiers killed on
duty in Helmand province.
Five Georgian servicemen:
Mukhran Shukvani, Ramaz Go-
giashvili, Davit Tsetskhladze,
31st Battalion Welcomed Home Workshop on the cyber security
The 31st Battalion of the
Georgian Armed Forces has ar-
rived in Georgia from their tour
in Afghanistan. The 749 service-
men had been operating in Hel-
mand province as part of the US
peacekeeping contingent. The
Georgian military which had
been participating in the NATO-
led ISAF operation returned to
Georgia at 20:00 p.m. They were
welcomed by the Defense Min-
ister Bacho Akhalaia, Major-
General Devi Tchankotadze,
Joint Chief of Staff of the GAF,
and the US Ambassador to Geor-
gia John R. Bass.
The 31st Battalion is being
Nugzar Kalandadze and Giorgi
Kolkhitashvili lost their lives
during the fulfillment of their
duty. In addition to this loss, a
total of twelve personnel were
injured, four of them were trans-
ferred to a German Hospital
where they were visited by the
First Lady of the United States,
Michelle Obama. At this stage,
only one soldier - Aleko Gitolen-
dia – remains in Germany, an-
other, Moris Sabashvili is under-
going treatment at the MoD Mil-
itary Hospital in Georgia, and the
rest have been able to return to
their families.
The rotation, which has re-
cently been completed, has tak-
replaced by the 32nd Battalion
of the III Infantry Brigade on a
step-by step basis, a process that
will be completed by the end of
November this year. The sol-
diers of the 32nd Battalion have
been undergoing a six-month in-
tensive training course to pre-
pare them for the ISAF/NATO
operation. Before their rotation
on to active duty, they had com-
pleted a tactical preparation pro-
gram under the guidance of the
Training and Advisory Group of
the US Marine Corps. During
their training, the soldiers
learned how to conduct protec-
tion, search, evacuation, con-
en place on a step-by-step basis.
The 32nd Battalion underwent 6
month intensive training course
for participation in the NATO-
voy, and cordon operations as
well as learning how to commu-
nicate with the communities and
military structures they will be
working with.
“I’m very pleased to be here
tonight to welcome home the
members of the battalion after
their very successful deploy-
ment in Afghanistan. I want to
personally thank the soldiers of
the battalion for their service
and their sacrifices on behalf of
not only Georgia, but also the
United States and our other part-
ners in the International Secu-
rity Assistance Force. Your sol-
diers are a great, great credit to
Georgia and to the contribution
Georgia is making on behalf of
our common security in Af-
ghanistan and around the world.
We are very grateful for their
sacrifice and for their service to
our collective effort,” declared
the US Ambassador in Georgia
John R. Bass.
The 32nd Peace Battalion
underwent preparatory training
at the Vaziani and Krtsanisi mil-
itary bases. Following the com-
pletion of their Georgia-based
training, the contingent was giv-
en special preparation at the Ger-
man town of Hohenfels at the US
Joint Multinational Readiness
Center (JMRC). The level of pre-
paredness of the outgoing Bat-
talion has been positively as-
sessed by both the Center’s ex-
perts and the Training and Advi-
sory Group of the US Marines.
led ISAF mission. Before their
rotation on to active duty, they
had completed a tactical prepa-
ration program under the guid-
ance of the Training and Advi-
sory Group of the US Marine
Corps. During their training, the
soldiers learned how to conduct
a range of counter-terrorist ac-
tivities including protection,
search, evacuation, convoy, and
cordon operations as well as
learning how to communicate
with the communities and mili-
tary structures they will be work-
ing with.
The 32nd Peace Battalion
underwent preparatory training
at the Vaziani and Krtsanisi mil-
itary bases. Following the com-
pletion of their Georgia-based
training, the contingent was giv-
en special preparation at the Ger-
man town of Hohenfels at the US
Joint Multinational Readiness
Center (JMRC). The level of pre-
paredness of the outgoing Bat-
talion has been positively as-
sessed by both the Center’s ex-
perts and the Training and Advi-
sory Group of the US Marines.
On November 11, a work-
shop on cyber security in the
defense sphere was organized by
the Georgian Ministry of De-
fense. The round table - held
under the NATO-Georgia Pro-
fessional Development Program
- sought to facilitate discussion
on the subject between mid-lev-
el Georgian policy-makers from
a range of government agencies,
Georgian non-governmental se-
curity experts, and cyber securi-
ty experts from Estonia and the
UK. The participants examined
the role of cyber security in
Georgian national security and
how different governmental
agencies should respond to the
challenge it poses.
The workshop was opened by
Mr. Raul Rikk, Head of the Es-
tonian Department of Cyber Se-
curity. Andro Barnovi, Manag-
ing Chair of the Board of the
Georgian Institute of Strategy
and Development and LTC Ni-
gel Harrison, Representative of
the UK Office of Cyber Securi-
ty & Information Assurance both
spoke about the significance of
information safety in the context
of national security. The discus-
sion was attended by the Nation-
al Security Council of Georgia,
the Ministry of Internal Affairs,
the Data Exchange Agency, the
Ministry of Justice, the Parlia-
mentary Committee on Defense
and Security, the State Ministry
for European and Euro-Atlantic
Integration, as well as represen-
MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF GEORGIA TODAY
Lisbon Summit
Continued from p.1
“We strongly encourage, and
actively support Georgia’s con-
tinued implementation of all nec-
essary reforms; particularly
democratic, electoral and judi-
cial reforms, as well as security
and defense sector reforms, in
order to advance its Euro-Atlan-
tic aspirations,” the document
reads. “We welcome Georgia’s
important contributions to
NATO operations, in particular
to ISAF. We reiterate our contin-
ued support for the territorial in-
tegrity and sovereignty of Geor-
gia within its internationally rec-
ognized borders,” it continues.
NATO called on Russia to
reverse its recognition of Abk-
hazia and South Ossetia as inde-
pendent states. “We want to see
a true strategic partnership be-
tween NATO and Russia and we
will act accordingly, with the
expectation of reciprocity from
Russia,” the Declaration reads
stating, “On this firm basis, we
urge Russia to meet its commit-
ments with respect to Georgia,
as mediated by the European
Union on 12 August and 8 Sep-
tember 2008.”
tatives from the Ministry of De-
fense and Joint Staff.
According to the Estonian
expert, Mr. Raul Rikk, the semi-
nar sought to promote the devel-
opment of a national strategy on
cyber security. “We want to find
out what different ministries can
do in the field of cyber security
and how they can cooperate. As
you experienced in 2008 during
the Russian invasion - cyber-
space can be used in conjunction
with military operations. Now,
we can see that Georgia has a real
problem with cyber security and
this round-table is about how we
can bring different initiatives to-
gether in order to help develop a
Georgian national cyber securi-
ty strategy,” stated Mr. Raul
Rikk.
The importance of the semi-
nar was also highlighted in the
remarks of Andro Barnovi. “This
sphere is growing, expanding
and at the same time the topic of
3
C NATO
NATO Secretary General,
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, an-
nounced the launch of “funda-
mentally new relations” between
NATO and Russia, saying im-
proved ties between the Alliance
and Moscow would also help to
resolve the conflict between
Russia and Georgia.
Asked how “fundamentally
new relations” between Russia
and NATO might effect the con-
flict between Moscow and Tbili-
si, Rasmussen responded: “I
hope to see a resolution to that
very unfortunate conflict, and I
can assure that within the frame-
work we have created for con-
sultations with Russia, we will
continue to discuss the Georgia
issue.”
“The NATO position remains
the same; we insist on full re-
spect of Georgia’s sovereignty
and territorial integrity; we will
continue to pursue a non-recog-
nition policy as regards Abkha-
zia and South Ossetia.” “Gener-
ally speaking, I do believe, that
an improved relationship be-
tween NATO and Russia will
also contribute in a valuable way
to finding solutions to the con-
flict,” Rasmussen said.
security in this context is becom-
ing more sensitive and impor-
tant. We experienced this during
the war in August 2008 when the
Russians carried out cyber at-
tacks on Georgian sites. It is a
fact that whether we want or not,
with or without our involvement,
the sphere will grow and the pro-
cess might become uncontrolla-
ble. The sphere itself does not
exist separately; it is an integral
part of security in general, and it
may cause physical damage,
even mass casualties - that’s why
it’s urgent that we pay attention
to cyber security. We have more
than a half a million internet us-
ers in Georgia today, and their
number is steadily increasing.
State institutions and large com-
panies are becoming more and
more dependent on the internet
and I think that it’s high time we
start intensive discussions and
work on this issue,” noted the
Georgian expert.
4 MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF GEORGIA TODAY
Georgian MPs visit 20th Cadre Brigade
On November 16, Georgian Defense
Minister, Bacho Akhalaia and a group
of MPs paid a visit to the 20th Cadre
Brigade of the National Guard where the
Minister explained the training process
for reservists to the representatives of
the legislative body.
At Paldo military base, reservists are
currently acquiring skills in topography,
field operations and handling weapons
to prepare them for service in the Na-
tional Guard. They are also learning how
to perform first aid and evacuation op-
erations. At the end of their training, they
will have to pass a series of examina-
tions before being sworn in to service.
The Defense Minister explained that
the MoD intends to conduct the train-
ing of reservists in two phases. At the
moment, trainings are to be given to
persons who have previously served in
Visit of the Catholicos Patriarch
The Archangels’ Choir Church, re-
cently restored at the Georgian Minis-
try of Defense, was consecrated on No-
vember 16 by His Holiness and Beati-
tude, Catholicos Patriarch of all Geor-
gia Ilia II. The ceremony began at 9: 00
a. m, with the Patriarch visiting later,
blessing the new altar and holding pub-
lic prayer.
“I am happy to be here with you in
the place where the Georgian army, de-
fenders of our country, is being devel-
oped and strengthened. I would like to
say that our people place much confi-
dence in the Georgian army - the nation
needs to better understand the impor-
tance of the role the army plays, and to
change its attitude from the soviet mind-
set, wherein every citizen tried to avoid
obligatory military service. Serving in
the Georgian army should be a matter
of dignity. I would like the Ministry of
Defense to do everything for our soldiers
the military, either on a compulsory or
voluntary basis. “These people already
have serving experience, and their
training program will be limited to 16
days, but those citizens who have not
taken part in military service before
will have to undergo a 45-day prepara-
tion course. The present training pro-
gram is proving to be successful, what’s
more, the reservists are taking great
interest in the entire affair,” Mr. Akhala-
ia told journalists.
The Minister explained that the re-
sponsibility for the training of reserv-
ists has been transferred to the Army -
“This is the Army’s reserve. As for the
National Guard, it will be responsible
for ensuring civil defense - including
rear and support operations, which will
not involve action at the front line. It will
be a logistics reserve which will be
to support their church attendance on
Sundays and religious holidays. People
should be closer to their military; it fos-
ters the overall unity and integrity of the
country. God blesses Defense Minister
Bacho Akhalaia, all of you and the whole
of Georgia”, said the Patriarch in his
sermon.
The consecration ceremony was at-
tended by Defense Minister, Bacho
Akhalaia; Joint Chief of Staff of the
GAF, Major-General Devi Chanko-
tadze; and personnel from the MoD and
JS.
The Archangels’ Choir Church is lo-
cated in the courtyard of the MoD. Res-
toration works on the church have been
a long ongoing process. The site is now
completely rehabilitated – sporting a
new altar and floor.
During the reign in Georgia of the
Russian monarchy, the Church was used
by the Cadets Corps. In the soviet times
trained through different exercises to
those ongoing at Paldo”.
Minister also added that right now it
is under discussion with the Georgian
Parliament and if approved, citizens who
were acting as reservists during 2008
August war might be given military cards
without calling up to the third gathering.
MPs also emphasized the importance
of the reserve. According to Akaki Mi-
nashvili MP, the role of each citizen is
crucial to the security of the country:
“We learned some lessons and gained a
lot of experience [from the war], as a
it was used as a store house for food.
From 1995 the Church was transferred
to the ownership of the Georgian Patri-
archate.
NOVEMBER 2010 ISSUE #41
result we continuing reforms to the re-
serve service. You can see these citi-
zens, now soldiers, are so enthusiastic,
motivated and eager to learn. We all
know that security is a top priority for
the country. Each citizen, everybody to-
gether can and must contribute to the
security of our country. The reserve is
the best place for citizens acquire the
basic skills they need. The reforms are
proving a great success, and the reserv-
ists themselves recognize that they are
gaining great experience and that every-
thing is changing for the better.” Parlia-
Army participate in
Basketball Super League
The Basketball Team of the Georgian
Ministry of Defense - playing under the
name of “Army” - is taking part in the
ongoing Basketball Super League. The
Basketball Club has recently come togeth-
er with the support of the Defense Minis-
try, under the guidance of coach and vet-
eran player, Levan Moseshvili. The team
is made up of well-known and experienced
sportsmen, including members of the
Georgian National Basketball Team.
“Army” has already competed with three
local teams from Kutaisi, Sokhumi and the
Georgian Technical University (GTU). It
made its debut against Kutaisi at the Sports
Palace, though it lost the game by the nar-
row margin of 78:82. The following two
matches with GTU and Sokhumi howev-
er turned out successfully with two con-
vincing wins. Several team members -
Giorgi Pirvelashvili, Kote Tugushi and
mentary deputy Nugzar Tsiklauri also
acclaimed the reserve system as essen-
tial for the county’s defense.
Reservist Shalva Julukhadze seemed
to be very pleased with the training pro-
gram: “Each day is loaded with theoret-
ical and practical trainings, and each day
is very interesting. Practically every oth-
er day we were able to go to the firing
range where we had the opportunity to
practice shooting various types of weap-
ons. At the same time we received theo-
retical instruction on how to move in the
field,” he explained.
Revaz Atanelishvili showed the best play,
leading the team to victory in both match-
es.
On November 18, “Army” paid a trip
to the Cadets Military Lyceum. The team
became familiar with daily life at the
Lyceum and played games with the stu-
dents. “The meeting was very interest-
ing. Our visit here was aimed at helping
the cadets to perform harder during
training, and encouraging them to over-
come their obstacles”, said one of the
basketball players, Anatoli Boisa. The
team invited the students to attend their
games, and, as a mark of friendship, pre-
sented them with a basketball with all
the players’ signatures on it.
At the moment, a total of 300 cadets
are studying at the Lyceum.
The Super League will last until mid-
April next year.