Multinational exercise - Noble Partner 2020 was officially opened with the Georgian national anthem in Vaziani. Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, Minister of Defense Irakli Gharibashvili and Commander of Defense Forces Giorgi Matiashvili greeted the military personnel, IPN reports. 

As InterPressNews was informed by the Ministry of Defense, the officials emphasized in their speeches the importance of partnership and conducting multinational exercises in Georgia, which contribute to the process of strengthening international security, as well as stability in the Black Sea region. 

“Georgia is hosting Noble Partner for the fifth time. The exercise is being organized by the Georgian Defense Forces and the US European Command and aims to improve preparedness and compatibility between Georgia, the US and partner countries, as well as to contribute to maintaining a stable and secure environment in the Black Sea region. That is why the main message of the exercise is "Power is in partnership". 

More than 2,700 military personnel from Georgia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland and France are taking part in the multinational exercise this year," reads the statement released by the Ministry of Defense.

At the same time, according to IPN, the de facto ministry of foreign affairs of occupied Abkhazia responds to the "Noble Partner 2020" multinational military exercise launched in Georgia yesterday and "expresses serious concern."

"The extent of the intensity and growth of the operational training of the Georgian armed forces through such joint exercises, where the Georgian military has the opportunity to increase its military potential and acquire additional innovations in combat operations management, is of serious concern", - reads statement.

As the de facto ministry notes, such regular military exercises with the West could pose a serious threat to stability in the world and in the South Caucasus.

"As a symmetrical response to the destructive actions of Georgia and its Western partners, the Abkhaz side intends further develop military-technical cooperation with Russia to strengthen the defense capabilities and security of the Republic of Abkhazia", - the de facto agency claimed in a statement.

#GEORGIA

#SECURITY

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#ABKHAZIA

#NATO

#GAKHARIA

#EXERCISE

#OSSETIA

#MILITARY

08.09.2020 10:16