United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has visited Georgia today.

Former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, now the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), Ben Hodges said that "this is great news".

"Secretary of Defense Austin's visits to Georgia, Ukraine, and Romania are a clear signal of US interest in the greater Black Sea region," he said in a tweet.

According to the US Embassy to Georgia, Secretary Austin will meet with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Minister of Defense Juansher Burchuladze to reaffirm U.S. support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and underscore the importance of the U.S.-Georgia strategic partnership in addressing regional and global security challenges. The leaders will also discuss bilateral security cooperation and encourage greater regional cooperation in the Black Sea.