TBILISI, July 15, 2008 (AFP) - Lawmakers in Georgia on Tuesday passed a law increasing the size of the army by 15 percent from 32,000 to 37,000 people as part of its bid to join the NATO alliance amid growing tensions with Russia.

The boost in army numbers 'will strengthen our defences and build an army compatible with the NATO criteria,' Nicoloz Rurua, deputy head of the parliament's defence and security committee, said ahead of the vote.