New NATO Initiative for Military Medical Capacity Development

The Multinational Medical Coordination Centre/European Medical Command (MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command) supports the NATO initiative for the development of Georgia's military medical capacities (Military Medical Capacity Development Initiative). The organisation located in Koblenz has broad experience in the international coordination of military medical services.

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The Military Medical Capacity Development Initiative is part of the extension to the already existing NATO programme for the development and strengthening of Georgia's defence capabilities (Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, SNGP). It was agreed on 2 December 2020 during a meeting of the foreign ministers of the NATO member states. Under this package, the capabilities already developed and the interoperability of Georgia with other NATO states shall be extended and improved.

The SNGP, which originally was adopted during the NATO Summit in Wales in September 2014, includes a number of measures and initiatives, which aim to strengthen the defence capabilities of Georgia and to develop a closer security cooperation at NATO level. Beyond the medical field, the extended SNGP in more than 20 projects includes another 13 fields from the defence- and security-related sectors in Georgia.

Support in the convergence towards NATO standards

The exact scope of the new support task of MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command currently is still in the process of international coordination. Development and coordination services are no new tasks for MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command. Most recently, the coordination element in Koblenz gained wide experience in the context of the medical portion of the NATO Response Force (NRFNATO Response Force) force posture for the period 2022 to 2024.

The parliamentary republic of Georgia ranks among the Caucasian countries and has approx. 37,000 active-duty military personnel. It borders on the Black Sea in the west, on Russia in the north and northeast, on Azerbaijan in the east and southeast, and on Armenia and Turkey in the south. With its area of 69,700 km², the country is a bit smaller than Austria. Its capital Tiflis is located in the east of the country, at Georgia's longest river, the Kura.