On 27 February, Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Gharibashvili conducted an official visit in Armenia where he met with his counterpart Davit Tonoyan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. After the meeting it was announced that Armenia would be participating at this year’s NATO military exercise in Georgia, reported the Armenian Radio Free Europe. 

“I am glad to note that Armenian soldiers will take part in the ‘Noble Partner’ multinational exercise that will be held by NATO member and partner states in Georgia,” Gharibashvili said after the talks. “I hope that in the future the Armenian side will continue to be actively involved in such exercises,” he added.

According to the Georgian Defense Ministry, the drills will be held near Tbilisi in September. Noble Partner  is a Georgian Armed Forces and U.S. Army Europe-led exercise which is intended to support and enhance Georgian, participating nations, regional partners and U.S. readiness and interoperability during a multinational training operation. The Armenian military last participated in NATO-led exercises in Georgia, also codenamed “Noble Partner,” in August 2018. It declined invitations to join similar war games that were held in Georgia in September 2018 and in March 2019. Russia, Armenia’s main military ally, has denounced such drills.

Tonoyan made no mention of Armenian participation in the upcoming exercises in his statement to the press. He stressed instead the importance of a plan of Armenian-Georgian military cooperation for this year signed by the two defense ministers. “Also, agreements were reached on expanding cooperation in a number of other spheres without including that in our bilateral program,” Tonoyan said without elaborating.

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reaffirmed his government’s commitment to deepening Armenia’s “strategic” relationship with Georgia when he met with Gharibashvili later in the day. He said defense and security is one of the important components of bilateral ties.