The Minister of Defense delivered a 45-minute long speech in the Parliament. Irakli Garibashvili was answering the questions of the MPs for 5 hours. MPs from the United National Movement and European Georgia have boycotted Garibashvili’s Minister’s Hour.

According to him, Russian occupation remains the main challenge for Georgia: “We inherited the most difficult security situation from the previous government. We have to deal with so-called borderization on a daily basis. Frozen conflicts and proximity to global terrorism hotspots added to the threats endangering regional stability. Presence of high-precision and long-range surface-to-air missile and airbase missile components near Georgia’s borders represented yet another major challenge”.

Garibashvili named hybrid warfare as a challenge threatening the country on a daily basis, among others, through information, psychological and propaganda operations. He added that for a country with limited defense resources like Georgia, it was vitally important to obtain preliminary intelligence information on existing risks, challenges and threats.

The Minister once again underlined that the U.S., the UK and other NATO states are supporting Georgia develop its aerial, naval and land intelligence technical capabilities, while Georgian servicemen actively cooperate with intelligence and security services of NATO.

Garibashvili maintained that Georgian Armed Forces were in a much stronger position then a decade ago: “The ministry was enrolling qualified and professional servicemen – improving their skills and abilities, providing them with propitious working and social conditions, introducing modern equipment and engaging them in international military drills. All of this is aimed at enhancing Georgia’s defense capabilities”.

The Defense Minister also highlighted that various destructive forces within the country have been plotting to weaken the most trusted organizations, such as the Church, Army, police.