Georgia Defence Ministry explores ways to increase support for wounded soldiers

Georgia’s Minister of Defence Tinatin Khidasheli met director of the Allied Forces Foundation Stuart Taylor (L). Photo by the Ministry of Defence of Georgia.

March 29, 2016 – Tbilisi, Georgia.

Georgia is exploring ways it can increase the support offered to wounded soldiers.

Yesterday Minister of Defence of Georgia Tinatin Khidasheli hosted director of the Allied Forces Foundation (AFF) Stuart Taylor and discussed the need to establish a universal system that would provide urgent support to soldiers in need.

Minister Khidasheli said to achieve this goal, foreign experience was crucial.

  • The AFF is a joint British-American foundation that’s tasked to raise funds for Allied comrades wounded in recent conflicts and to raise awareness of the ongoing challenges faced by injured soldiers and their families.

Georgia has already taken the first steps to establish this system. Khidasheli told her guest a deal had been reached at last week’s Governmental meeting about the creation of the Wounded and Injured Soldiers’ Support Foundation.

She said the process to form the Foundation had already begun and its board would be composed of British and American experts who served the same managerial jobs in their home countries.

“I hope the creation of the Foundation will motivate businesses and donors to realise and understand that these wounded soldiers serve them and the entire nation. The Foundation will also be a good lever to encourage our foreign partners to more efficiently and quickly make decisions about aid when needed,” Khidasheli said. 

The Defence high official stressed the Georgian Government  should offer maximum support to wounded soldiers, offer social guarantees for them and their families and provide future opportunities to those who were injured in service but wanted to continue serving in the Georgian Armed Forces using their knowledge and experience rather than on active duty.

“Soldiers wounded during service should be able to live their lives like the rest of the civilized world. These people are military personnel and despite suffering serious wounds, they should still have the opportunity to serve their country,” said Khidasheli.

Khidesheli added the Ministry had a special department that served wounded soldiers and the Ministry intended to expand the support projects available to the servicemen.

We are planning a range of projects to provide better support. The United States and Great Britain have a great deal of experience in terms of caring for wounded soldiers and they can pass this information and experience on to Georgia,” Khidasheli said.

Also yesterday Taylor met other Defence Ministry officials including Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces, Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze.