NATO ships have arrived in Georgian territorial waters. The MIA Border Police Coast Guard Department is hosting the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) in the Georgian territorial waters. The unit consists of Spanish (Flagship), Italian, Bulgarian, Romanian and Turkish naval vessels. The unit is commanded by CAPT Javier Nunez de Prado.

The Director of the MIA Border Police Cost Guard Department, CAPT Ramaz Papidze, Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Tornike Rijvadze, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to Georgia, Mariusz Maszkiewicz and the NATO Military Liaison Officer, COL Rusen Abidinoglu met with NATO ships in Batumi Port.

The visit of Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) is a confirmation of the Alliance’s support to Georgia"s NATO membership course. Georgia’s close cooperation with NATO strengthens the security of the Black Sea and promotes stability in the region.

Within the framework of the visit, the Georgian Coast Guard Department and NATO Naval Unit ships will conduct joint exercises in the Black Sea. The purpose of the exercise is to increase the interoperability of the Georgian and NATO naval forces and strengthen our country"s defence capabilities. The Coast Guard Department Boarding Teams will also undergo the second stage of the Second Level Assessment [NEL-2], the final phase of the 4-year assessment process.

NATO Naval Units regularly visit Georgian Ports, which is one of the tangible results of NATO-Georgia cooperation in terms of strengthening the Black Sea security. It is the second time NATO ships have visited Georgia in 2021.