On August 23rd, the Atlantic Council hosted a private, single-table working luncheon conversation with Irakli Alasania, minister of defense of Georgia.

The Atlantic Council has a long-standing and close relationship with Georgia and has been a leading voice in the United States and Europe in advancing the country’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. This discussion provided an opportunity to engage with Minister Alasania on Georgia’s ongoing defense reform, bilateral defense cooperation with the United States, and Georgia’s role and future in NATO. The conversation also covered Georgia’s broader political situation in advance of the presidential elections in October.

Irakli Alasania was appointed Minister in November 2012. He is the founder and chairman of the “Our Georgia-Free Democrats” political party, a key Georgian Dream Coalition member. Previously, he was permanent representative of Georgia to the United Nations and the chairman of the Tbilisi-based government-in-exile of the autonomous republic of Abkhazia. Mr. Alasania also served as the deputy secretary of the Georgian National Security Council, first deputy minister of state security, and served in the embassies of Georgia to the United States, Canada, and Mexico.