"This visit underscores the firmness of the strategic partnership between the United States and Georgia and the high level of cooperation to strengthen a partnership based on common values. It is noteworthy that after the appointment of Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense of the United States, he made one of the first telephone calls to the Defense Minister of Georgia, Juansher Burchuladze, stressing the great importance of cooperation with Georgia, as a distinguished and reliable strategic partner, and expressing the readiness to engage more and further deepen the partnership.

The visit of the United States Secretary of Defense, Georgia's main strategic partner, will further strengthen the close cooperation between our countries in the field of defense and promote the strategic partnership," - the Ministry of Defense of Georgia reports.

Earlier, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, John Kirby, has announced Lloyd Austin will visit Georgia next week.