NATO Special Representative Kevin Hamilton Visits Georgia
Kevin Hamilton, the newly appointed Special Representative of the NATO Secretary General for the Caucasus and Central Asia, is visiting Georgia, where he met with Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on May 7 and visited the occupation line with Tskhinvali/South Ossetia.
Hamilton, who assumed his position in March, also met with Georgian Dream Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani on May 8 and visited the NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Centre (JTEC).
Meeting at Foreign Ministry
“At the meeting, the parties discussed issues on the NATO-Georgia relations agenda,” the Ministry’s press release said. “The conversation focused on the significance of political dialogue and practical cooperation with the Alliance. Emphasis was placed on NATO’s support for enhancing the country’s defence capabilities.”
The meeting also addressed “the security environment in the region,” alongside “global challenges and the importance of peace and stability for Georgia,” and the situation in Georgia’s occupied territories, the ministry said.
According to the press release, Hamilton “expressed gratitude to the Georgian side for its contribution to the strengthening of common Euro-Atlantic security and reaffirmed the Alliance’s unequivocal support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Meeting at Defense Ministry
Georgian Dream Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani met Kevin Hamilton on May 8.
“The parties discussed the main directions of NATO-Georgia cooperation and future prospects. Attention was focused on the results achieved within the framework of many years of cooperation, including the initiatives of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP),” the Defense Ministry’s press release said.
Hamilton thanked the Georgian side “for its contribution to ensuring common Euro-Atlantic security,” the press release stated, adding that “the meeting also highlighted the importance of practical cooperation with the Alliance, which plays a major role in defense transformation and increasing interoperability with NATO.”
Hamilton Visits JTEC
Kevin Hamilton visited the NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Centre (JTEC) in Krtsanisi on May 8. He was hosted by Paata Patiashvili, GD First Deputy Defense Minister, alongside Deputy Commander of the Defense Forces Major General Irakli Chichinadze and Centre representatives.
According to the Defense Ministry, “at a specially organized briefing, Kevin Hamilton was provided with information about JTEC’s history, mission, structure, development, completed and future projects.” The ministry added that “the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative visited the Centre’s infrastructure and was introduced to its modern capabilities.”
Visiting Occupation Line
Ambassador Hamilton also visited the occupation line with Tskhinvali/South Ossetia in the Odzisi village. “NATO will always support a Georgia which is whole, free, and at home within its internationally-recognised borders,” Hamilton wrote on X following his Odzisi visit.
Hamilton’s visit to Georgia follows the recently released 2025 annual report of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, which said NATO-Georgia cooperation had been “reprioritised” following the 2024 parliamentary elections and “their aftermath.” Separately, Rutte said NATO sees “serious worries” about Georgia’s democratic trajectory and called on Tbilisi to return to a “pro-EU, European-forward-looking approach.”
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