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Georgia

NATO clears unexploded ordnance in Georgia [EN/RU]

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NATO has successfully completed a three-year project to clear unexploded ordnance from an ammunition depot in central Georgia. A closing ceremony for the Georgia IV NATO Trust Fund project was held on 7 November 2017 in Tbilisi, attended by more than 70 guests including NATO and partner nations’ Ambassadors and Defence Attaches, as well as senior NATO and Georgian Government representatives.

The 1.15 million euro NATO project, with the Czech Republic and Lithuania as lead nations, cleared unexploded ordnance from a partially exploded military ammunition depot which had been deliberately destroyed by Russia in 2008 near the village of Skra in central Georgia.

The NATO Support and Procurement Agency acted as the Executing Agent of the project and the project cleared more than 78,000 cubic metres of earth and debris, removing remaining live munitions and preparing the site for use by the local population. In addition to the lead nations, 12 other NATO member and partner nations – Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the USA – contributed to the project.

"This Trust Fund project is an excellent complement to the other defence capacity building and security related activities that take place within the framework of NATO-Georgia relations," Mr. Jiri Preclik, Deputy Ambassador of the Czech Republic, stressed. "We consider our project leadership as a strong demonstration - and an important element - of the Czech Republic's support to Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations," he said - a sentiment echoed by other speakers.