U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Andrew Loomis visited Georgia’s Defense Ministry on September 21, where he met with Georgian Dream Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani, the Ministry reported.
According to the Ministry, the meeting covered “the issues of existing cooperation between Georgia and the U.S. in the field of defense and future prospects.”
The sides also discussed “the security environment and challenges in the region,” as well as the Georgian and U.S. militaries’ “longstanding joint contribution to international missions,” Georgian-U.S. joint military exercises, and other programs, the Ministry said.
During the visit, Loomis also met with First Deputy Defense Minister Paata Patiashvili and Deputy Chief of the Georgian Defense Forces Irakli Chichinadze. According to the Ministry, Georgian defense officials thanked Loomis and the U.S. delegation for the visit and “underscored the significance of the visit in the process of strengthening bilateral ties in the field of defense.”
U.S. newly appointed Chargé d’Affaires Courtney Austrian and U.S. Defense Attaché Colonel Jonathan Adams attended the meetings alongside other members of the U.S. delegation, according to the press release.
The visit follows a separate meeting between the U.S. and Georgian defense officials in Georgia on September 14-16 focused, according to the U.S. Embassy, on assessing programs and discussing “future training and defense capabilities.”
“The review helps the U.S. manage assistance effectively, strengthen coordination, and advance shared security,” the Embassy said about the meeting.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of continued uncertainty in U.S.-Georgia relations, although contacts between officials have gradually resumed after a period of limited engagement. Georgian Dream officials have repeatedly called for rebuilding ties with Washington and reviving the strategic partnership “based on a concrete roadmap.”
Washington, under the Joe Biden administration, suspended the U.S.-Georgia strategic partnership amid pro-EU protests in Georgia in November 2024 and subsequently sanctioned Georgian Dream founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili. The Trump administration has yet to reverse those decisions.
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