Hagel reassures Georgia of its importance to U.S.

Officials in Georgia are eyeing Russia’s incursion into Ukraine nervously. While Georgia doesn’t border Ukraine or the Crimea, it does share a border with Russia, and Georgia and Russia fought a five-day-long war over separatist Georgian states in 2008.

In a Saturday meeting with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili and Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, Hagel “pledged to continue the close dialogue and cooperation between our two countries,” the Pentagon said in a summary of their talk.

“I wanted to come to Georgia right after the NATO summit for many reasons. But a primary reason was to emphasize to our Georgian partners, to the people of Georgia, how the United States values this relationship,” Hagel said to a group of U.S. Marines and Georgian soldiers at an event Sunday, according to a Pentagon transcript.

The visit is Hagel’s first official trip to Georgia as defense secretary.

Georgia is not a North American Treaty Organization member but wants to become one. It was among the handful of countries given special “enhanced partnership” status at the recent NATO summit in Wales. NATO heads have endorsed the country’s goal of becoming part of the organization.

“I’ve said, as well, that it was clear — President Obama made this point — and it was made at the summit that the eventual membership for Georgia in NATO is something that we’re committed to. And the process to get there is important,” Hagel said at a press conference in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

“The United States continues to call on Russia to fully withdraw its forces from Georgia’s borders and welcome the restraint Georgia has shown in this effort,” the defense secretary said, according to a Pentagon transcript. “Russia’s actions here and in Ukraine pose a long-term challenge that the United States and our allies take very seriously. But President Putin’s actions have also brought the United States and our friends in Europe, including Georgia, closer together.”

Georgia also wants to purchase UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, like those used by the U.S. Army, from the United States. “One of the things that I noted here is that the minister and I discussed as to how we go forward on Georgia’s request for helicopters and pricing and availability,” Hagel said.

With a population of about 5 million people, Georgia has about the same number of residents as the U.S. state of Alabama and covers an area a bit bigger than that of West Virginia.

The country is working on building up its defense capabilities as part of its path to joining NATO, including building a joint training center, Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania said at a joint press conference with Hagel.

Regarding the response so far to Russia’s moves in Ukraine, “there was a decision made to add more steadfast troops to that response force, so this is exactly the right move that NATO and partners are making,” Alasania said. “Of course, obviously the confrontation should be avoided … but we have bitter experience in Georgia trusting Russian cease-fire, so we better prepare for the contingencies.”

Hagel and Alasania laid a wreath in Tbilisi’s Heroes Square, which honors Georgian war dead, including those killed in the 2008 war with Russia.

Hagel is also slated to visit Turkey this week.