South Caucasian, US defence officials discuss regional security in Georgia

Officials from a number of South Caucasian nations and the United States gathered on Friday for their latest round of defense and security conference. The meeting, the eighth of its kind, which is now underway in the Georgian Black Sea coastal resort of Batumi, was attended by defense officials from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Ukraine, Turkey, France, Germany, the United States and Georgia. Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania said in Batumi the conference was established to serve as a forum for security policy of the region. \"The goal of the conference is to assist the platform in better analyzing the defense and security sector, sharing viewpoints and ideas, and stimulating discussions of challenges to international security,\" he said. According to sources close to the gathering, the participants will discuss such issues as the Euro-Atlantic security, ISAF (international security assistance force) operation, NATO expansion, and the on-going reforms in Georgia. Alasania is scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the conference his counterparts from the participating countries.