TBILISI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- A multinational military drill named "Agile Spirit 2017" wrapped up here at the Orpolo firing range near Akhaltsikhe in southern Georgia on Monday.
A closing ceremony started with a minute silence to the Georgian soldiers who died on duty and the victims of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
Addressing the ceremony, Georgia's Defense Minister Levan Izoria hailed the success of the joint military exercise as a contribution to the regional peace and stability.
Before the ceremony, the troops conducted live-fire sample training, mobilizing tanks, helicopters, artillery in offensive and defensive drills.
An exhibition of military equipments also took place after the ceremony.
According to the Georgian Defense Ministry, more than 1,500 servicemen from Georgia, the United States, Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania, Ukraine and Azerbaijan participated in the nine-day exercise, which began on Sept. 3.
The annual exercise aims to increase the interoperability of the Georgian troops and other partner states and improve combat capabilities of the NATO Response Force, the ministry said.
The Agile Spirit exercise was first held in 2011 in a bilateral format between Georgia and the United States. Since 2015, the annual exercise has been expanded to a multinational level.
