Page 48 - GEORptAug19

extension of the deadline would be used to effectively finish the process of negotiations with international banks
9.1.10 Defence sector news
Georgia will from July 27 host the Agile Spirit 2019 multinational exercise involving over 3,000 soldiers from the 14 Nato member states and allies, Georgia Today reported . T he drill will begin at the base of the 2nd Infantry Brigade of Senaki, Western Georgia and will also take place at the Orpolo and Vaziani fire ranges.
The Ministry of Defence of Georgia reported that the major aim of the exercise was to enhance interoperability between the participating countries, bring more sophisticatation to operational capabilities and strengthen planning and executing operations within the multinational environment, while also contributing to the maintenance of stability and security across the Black Sea Region.
“Strength through Partnership” has been set as the main message of the initiative.
The countries, participating in Agile Spirit 2019 are: Georgia, UK, US, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Belgium, Norway, Montenegro, Greece, Turkey, Ukraine, as well as Romania.
It is the ninth time that Georgia has hosted the exercise. It is to be led by the country’s defence ministry and the United States European Command.
9.2 Major corporate news 9.2.1 Transport corporate news
Turkish airlines AtlasGlobal announced it will “offer the businessmen, travelers and students who have to fly between Moscow and Tbilisi the chance of flying easily four days a week with connecting flights via İstanbul.”
The move comes after Russia forbade the access of Georgian aircraft to Russian airports, in a move it said was to protect Russian citizens from exposing themselves to risks in Georgia — but that was mainly seen as part of broader economic sanctions against the former Soviet state.
After a one-year pause, the Turkish airline AtlasGlobal thus returns to the Georgian aviation market, announced deputy general manager of TAV Georgia, the company managing Tbilisi and Batumi international airports, Thea Zakaradze.
The airline will start operating regular Istanbul-Tbilisi-Istanbul flights from the new Istanbul airport on July 16, Business Georgia reported.
The airline entered the Georgian market in 2013, but left it five years later in April 2018.
New carrier Armenia Airlines has received permission from Russian authorities for direct and regular Yerevan-Moscow-Yerevan flights, ArmenPress reported on June 26.
Deputy director of the airline Gevorg Khachatryan was cited as saying that the registration of a new Boeing 737-700 airplane to be used for the service was in process in Armenia. The aircraft was due to arrive in Armenia on July 8.
Two flights will be carried out daily. They will be synchronised with Yerevan-Tbilisi-Yerevan flights of a Georgian carrier partner of Armenia
48 GEORGIA Country Report August 2019 www.intellinews.com