Department of Defense Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Anton T. Semelroth provided the following readout:
On May 20, 2022, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Laura Cooper co-chaired the U.S.-Georgia Bilateral Defense Consultations in Tbilisi with Georgian First Deputy Defense Minister Lela Chikovani. The sides shared perspectives on the regional security environment, coordinated on plans for bilateral security cooperation, and discussed other issues of importance to U.S-Georgia defense relations. The event culminated with the co-chairs signing the Georgia Defense and Deterrence Enhancement Initiative (GDDEI) Bilateral Concept, a framework document intended to guide the execution of this new bilateral security cooperation initiative that Secretary Austin announced during his October 2021 visit to Tbilisi. The leaders reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Georgia strategic partnership in protecting shared values and advancing common security interests.
