President Mikheil Saakashvili today met Defence Minister Davit Kezerashvili and other representatives of the Defence Ministry at the State Chancellery. During the meeting Saakashvili noted that he was satisfied with the training received by reservists at the Mukhrovani military base, where he delivered an address today. 
"The quality of the training received by the first group of reservists has exceeded all expectations. This was clear from the mood of the troops and the officers. Seeing it with my own eyes convinced me of this. I think that deficiencies (if there are any) should be corrected and that we must continue training at the current pace," Saakashvili said. 

The Georgian president charged the defence minister with increasing the salaries of all military personnel serving on a contract basis from the start of 2008. He gave Kezerashvili until the end of the week to submit a list of specialists whose salaries should be increased before the end of this year. 

"The fact that the salary of military personnel serving on a contract basis is 500 lari per month is already progress. Professional military service is an honourable mission, but at the same time it requires great bravery and is associated with great risk. Therefore I instruct you to raise the salaries of contract servicemen of all categories, without exception, by 100 lari from 1 January of next year. I am also ordering you to present a list of specialists who should begin receiving higher salaries already this year. Everyone needs a higher salary, but these people need it in particular because it is precisely they who are our main guarantee for security," Saakashvili said.

Press Office
of the President of Georgia