On June 1, 2023, creative group of “Basti Bubu” presented a musical show “The Adventures of Pinocchio” in the Philharmonic Grand Concert Hall in connection with the International Day for Protection of Children, which was organized by the State Service of Veteran Affairs and with the support of “Basti Bubu”. The event was attended by 150 young children and grandchildren of veterans.

Children were greatly impressed by the performance presented by little actors. The voices of the singers were accompanied by the noises of little children, which made the show even more enjoyable.

The State Service of Veteran Affairs thanked “Basti Bubu” and the entire creative team for expressing their support to its little beneficiaries and for making the International Day for Protection of Children a special one. He wished them to live in successful, unified, powerful and peaceful Georgia.

Major General Koba Kobaladze, Director of the State Service of Veteran Affairs, as an honored guest, together with the Georgian delegation, attended the 29th international charity annual event “TAPS” (“Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors”) within the framework of his working visit to the USA.

“Today we have been the honored guests of a very exciting event, at the invitation of the founder and president of TAPS, Mrs. Bonnie Carroll. The event was attended by many guests, including the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, the country’s highest-ranking military officer, General Mark Milley, the chief military adviser to the President, the Secretary of Defense and the National Security Council, who thanked the Georgian delegation, including our the country during his speech, greeted the veterans of Georgia and all those people who fought and are fighting for the freedom of their country. Yesterday, we signed a memorandum of understanding with TAPS that will allow us to work together to care for our veterans and family members of fallen military personnel. “This event was held in support of the family members of the fallen soldiers and was attended by hundreds of people from different countries,” said Koba Kobaladze.

The international charity organization “TAPS” was founded in 1994 by Bonnie Carroll, the wife of the Army Brigadier General Tom Carroll, an American veteran, to support the families of fallen soldiers. Since the day of establishment, TAPS along with different charity and support activities has annually held large-scale events attended by family members of deceased military personnel from the United States of America and other countries.

In 2023, the 29th international event of TAPS was also attended by Irakli Chanturidze, Deputy Head of the Legal Assurance Department of the State Service of Veteran Affairs, Mariam Adamashvili, Head of the Protocol Department, Paata Patiashvili, Senior Counselor of the Embassy of Georgia in the United States of America, and the US and Canada Defense Attaché, Colonel Robert Arghvliani.

During the 5-day gathering, the family members of the fallen soldiers will participate in different support activities.

Major General Koba Kobaladze, Director of the State Service of Veteran Affairs continues to meet with governmental and non-governmental sectors in the USA.

Koba Kobaladze met with Kenneth Angell, Managing Director, Project Finance at U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.

Major General Koba Kobaladze, Director of the State Service of Veterans Affairs, within the framework of his working visit to the United States of America, held another meeting with Kenneth Angell, Managing Director, Project Finance at U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, concerning the project financing.

The main theme of the conversation was the support of the construction of a multi-profile, multi-functional hospital in Tbilisi by Development Finance Corporation. Koba Kobaladze thoroughly explained the importance of the implementation of the project of a multi-profile hospital for veterans. He also talked about its priorities, mobility and advantages. According to Koba Kobaladze, the hospital will become one of the important hospitals in Caucasia, where Georgian veterans and their family members, veterans from the occupied territories of Georgia, as well as from Azerbaijan, Armenia and other countries will be able to receive medical services.

According to Kenneth Angell, the health sector is a priority area of Development Finance Corporation. He expressed his interest in the mentioned project and said that after meeting certain criteria that the US International Development Finance Corporation has imposed, they will be ready to cooperate with the State Service of Veteran Affairs and discuss the next stages of the construction of the hospital.

Koba Kobaladze thanked Kenneth Angell for the meeting and his willingness to help in the construction of the veterans’ hospital. According to him, this is an important project that will make it easier for veterans and their family members to receive multi-disciplinary, high-standard healthcare services in one space.

The meeting was also attended by Mariam Adamashvili, Head of the Protocol Department of the State Service of Veteran Affairs, and Paata Patiashvili, Senior Counselor of the Embassy of Georgia in the United States of America. The State Service of Veteran Affairs has already received a land area of 5300 square meters on Ljubljana Street from the state for the construction of a multi-profile hospital for veterans in Tbilisi.

Koba Kobaladze, Director of the State Service of Veterans Affairs, continues to meet with the governmental and non-governmental sectors in the USA.

Agrohub, the first hypermarket of natural products in our country, held a charity event for veterans with many children in connection with the Independence Day of Georgia.

Irina Onashvili, public relations manager of Agrohub, along with the company’s representatives, handed food baskets to veterans with large families living in Rustavi, Tbilisi and Kaspi Municipality who fought in the 1992-93 war of Abkhazia and Samachablo and Russo-Georgian War 2008. They, on behalf of Agrohub, thanked the veterans for their loyal service to the motherland and the efforts they made in the fight for the territorial integrity, freedom and independence of our country.

“Today, when our country celebrates the Day of Independence, we wanted to visit the families of those people who sacrificed the most for the independence and freedom of Georgia to express our respect and love. It is a very emotional day for me, because today we were able to make happy large families of seven heroic people – these beautiful children with our modest gifts. I hope our cherished wish will soon come true and we will witness united and strong motherland” – Irina Onashvili said.

The State Service of Veteran Affairs thanks Hypermarket Agrohub for its support to veterans. It congratulates the entire company and each of its employees on the Day of Independence, wishes them prosperity and powerful Georgia.

Major General Koba Kobaladze, Director of the State Service of Veteran Affairs, laid a wreath on the grave of General John Malkhaz Shalikashvili at the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington as a part of his official visit to the United States of America.

Koba Kobaladze, Defense Attaché of Georgia in the USA and Canada, Colonel Robert Arghvliani, his deputy, Nikoloz Jachvadze, and Chief of General Staff of Arlington National Cemetery, Colonel Michael Er Binet, paid tribute to the memory of the American general of Georgian origin.

United States Army General John Malkhaz Shalikashvili was the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces. He held this position during the administration of President Bill Clinton in 1993-1997. John Malkhaz Shalikashvili served in the US Army for 38 years. He died on July 23, 2011.

Koba Kobaladze also visited the grave of the unknown soldier and expressed his respect for all those dead soldiers who were killed during different military operations throughout the history of the United States of America.

A solemn reception dedicated to Georgia’s Independence Day was held in Washington, the capital of the United States of America.

Major General Koba Kobaladze, Director of the State Service of Veteran Affairs, attended the reception with the members of the delegation.

David Zalkaliani, Ambassador of Georgia to the USA, addressed the participants at the event, who in his speech emphasized the friendship and strategic partnership between the United States of America and Georgia.

Approximately 500 guests attended the reception organized by the embassy. Representatives of the United States State Department, Georgians working in Washington, and representatives of the diplomatic corps attended the event.

Musical compositions were performed by Nutsa Buzaladze and “Theatrical Quartet” at the event dedicated to the Independence Day.

Major General Koba Kobaladze, Director of the State Service of Veteran Affairs, held a meeting with the President of the Allied Forces Foundation, Stuart Taylor within the framework of his working visit to the United States of America.

At the meeting, Koba Kobaladze introduced the structure of the Service to Stuart Taylor and talked about the programs that the Service implements to improve the psycho-social and economic conditions of veterans and family members of those killed in the war.

Special attention was paid to overcoming the challenges faced by wounded and injured military personnel and veterans. The joint events and activities to overcome those challenges were planned.

It is noteworthy that Stewart Taylor, along with Dr. Barbara Van Delan and Dr. Randy Phelps, paid their visit to the State Service of Veteran Affairs in Georgia in 2018.

As Stewart Taylor said at the meeting, he is going to return to Georgia again and fulfill the project – “Silkroad Challenge”, which is aimed to plan a wide range of activities for the wounded and injured servicemen and veterans and their involvement in those activities.

Stuart Taylor served as a Warrant Officer in the British Army from 1986 to 2011. He has been the president and executive director of the non-governmental non-profit organization “Allied Forces Foundation” since 2011. The purpose of the fund is to unite wounded and injured veterans from the USA, Great Britain, and other allied countries.

The meeting was also attended by Irakli Chanturidze, Deputy Head of the Legal Assurance Department of the State Service of Veteran Affairs, Mariam Adamashvili, Head of the Protocol Department, Paata Patiashvili, Senior Counselor of the Georgian Embassy in the United States of America, and Defense Attaché in the USA and Canada, Colonel Robert Arghvliani.

Koba Kobaladze, Director of the State Service of Veterans Affairs, continues to meet with the governmental and non-governmental sectors in the USA.

On May 21, 2023, an open volleyball championship dedicated to the memory of Levan Devdariani, who died in the Russia-Georgia war 2008, was held in the sports hall of the third public school of Gardabani. The event was organized by the Gardabani Municipality City Hall and supported by the State Service of Veteran Affairs. The tournament was organized in accordance with the xisting rules of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).

In 2023, seven teams competed for the victory. In the final match, the teams of “Choluri” and “Lukosand” faced each other. The title of this year’s champion went to the latter.

Fuad Mirzoev, deputy mayor of Gardabani Municipality, awarded the prize winners with the prizes founded by the city hall, and Levan Gogolauri, the head of the Kvemo Kartli Division of the State Service of Veteran Affairs, awarded service medals and certificates to the first, second and third place holders of the team. He handed a special cup of the Service to the champion.

The memorial volleyball tournament named after Levan Devdariani, the hero of the Russian-Georgian war2008, was founded in 2016 on the initiative of the City Hall of Gardabani Municipality, and sportsmen from different regions take part in it.

24-year-old corporal Levan Devdariani was born in Zeskho village of Lentekhi Municipality. He was 6 years old when his family moved to Gardabani. He graduated from the university in 2008; Levan Devdariani was not conscripted into the army. Before graduating from the university, in the spring of 2007, he himself contacted the military commissariat; A recruitment was announced for the Fourth Infantry Brigade, and Levan also went under contract.

The soldier who died in the fight for the territorial integrity of Georgia who is buried at the Mukhatgavedi Brothers’ Cemetery.

Levan Devdariani, (posthumously) was awarded the Order of Vakhtang Gorgasli, 1st degree.

On May 27-28, 2023, Lions Eye Diabet Clinic – Tbilisi will offer free ophthalmological examinations and mini-surgical operations for veterans of war and defense forces and their family members living in Ozurgeti municipality within the framework of the Memorandum of Cooperation. The event is organized by the State Service of Veterans Affairs. A group of 12 qualified doctors (ophthalmologists, endocrinologists) with high-tech equipment will participate in the charity medical campaign. If necessary, the beneficiaries of the service will be provided with optical appliances (glasses) free of charge;

Beneficiaries will be received from 10:00 am.

Address:  April 9 Str.#9 Ozurgeti; Ozurgeti Eye Clinic;

The memorandum of cooperation between the State Service of Veterans Affairs and Lions Eye Diabet Clinic – Tbilisi was signed for the first time in 2016 and is renewed annually. Free medical campaigns are held permanently throughout Georgia.

Within the framework of existing memoranda with various medical institutions, charitable medical campaigns for veterans and their family members will be held throughout Georgia, regarding which veterans will be notified in advance.

Major General Koba Kobaladze, Director of the State Service of Veteran Affairs, held another meeting with the president of the charity organizations “Give an Hour” and “Webe life”, Barbara Van Delan and Dr. Randy Phelps, senior advisor of “Webe life” in frames of his working visit to the United States of America.

Within the framework of the meeting, the delegation of the State Service of Veteran Affairs gave a presentation on the development dynamics, structural management, completed works, completed social and economic projects, international cooperation, legislative initiatives and future plans of the Service to Barbara Van Delan and Randy Phelps.

Special attention was paid to psycho-social rehabilitation of veterans. Koba Kobaladze meticulously spoke about the challenges facing Georgian veterans in this regard. In addition, the socio-psychological and agricultural projects were also discussed, the implementation of which is planned by the State Service of Veteran Affairs. According to Koba Kobaladze, participation of international partners and friendly countries is very important in this process. Barbara Van Delan promised to help the director of the Service in the implementation of the aforementioned projects.

According to Barbara Van Delan, participation of the family of beneficiaries is of utmost importance in the process of psycho-rehabilitation, because it has an effective and long-lasting effect on the psycho-social rehabilitation of the beneficiary. It should be noted that Dr. Barbara Van Delan and Dr. Randy Phelps visited the State Service of Veteran Affairs in Georgia in 2018. According to them, they plan to come to Georgia again in the near future and start active cooperation on the above-mentioned programs.

Dr. Barbara Van Delany is an expert in the field of Mental health consequences of war. She provides assistance to American veterans and their families. It is noteworthy that Dr. Barbara is the co-chairman of the advisory board of the “Wounded Fighters Support Fund”. As for Randy Phelps, he is a clinical psychologist and has 25 years of work experience in the field of psychological rehabilitation.

The meeting was attended by Irakli Chanturidze, Deputy Head of the Department of Legal Assurance of the State Service of Veteran Affairs, Mariam Adamashvili, Head of the Protocol Department, Paata Patiashvili, Senior Counselor of the Embassy of Georgia in the United States of America, and Defense Attaché in the USA and Canada, Colonel Robert Arghvliani.

Koba Kobaladze, Director of the State Service of Veterans Affairs, continues to meet with the governmental and non-governmental sectors in the USA.