US helps reform Georgian army

Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze has called the American education program for Georgian servicemen the beginning of the reform of the country's armed forces. He said this at the award ceremony for Georgian officers who had underwent a training within the framework of the "Education and Equipment" program, carried out by the US government.

The American program is of "global character" for Georgia and it is "a great honour" for the Georgian government that the USA has chosen Georgia as one of the partners for combating terrorism, the president said.

On Friday 180 Georgian officers who underwent extensive administrative training with American military instructors, received corresponding certificates, completing the first stage of the program, to which the US government allocated $64 million.