NATO vessels visit Georgia’s Black Sea port of Poti
Georgia’s Black Sea port of Poti is hosting a group of military vessels of NATO member states, as the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 is set to hold sea manoeuvres with their Georgian counterparts this week.
Tweet 
Share
Georgia’s Black Sea port of Poti is hosting a group of military vessels of NATO member states, as the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 is set to hold sea manoeuvres with their Georgian counterparts this week.
Involving four ships of member countries, the SNMG2 arrived in Poti on Monday and were received by Temur Kekelidze, Head of the Border Police of Georgia flanked by other local dignitaries.
HNLMS Evertsen of the Royal Netherlands Navy, TCG Yildirim of the Turkish Navy, BGS Drazki of the Bulgarian Navy and ROS Regele Ferdinand of the Romanian Naval Forces are part of the group led by Commodore Boudewijn Boots.
The commander is scheduled to meet the head of the Coast Guard Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia as part of the visit, while the crews under his command will join their counterparts from the coast guard service for exercises.
Commanders of the group photographed in the Georgian port after arrival. Photo: Border Police of Georgia press office.
Two coast guard vessels will be involved in sea manoeuvres with the SNMG2, aimed at improving interoperability between NATO forces and Georgian crews.
A release by the Border Police of Georgia said other official meetings as well as cultural activities were on the agenda for the visit of the group.
Formed in 2005, the SNMG2 is an “immediate reaction force” of the alliance, comprised of vessels and crews of various member states taking part in exercises, crisis response and operational tasks.
The NATO formation will hold sea manoeuvres with their Georgian counterparts in Black Sea. Photo: Border Police of Georgia press office.
One of two Standing Maritime Groups of the alliance, the group pays periodical visits to ports of countries that are part of various international programmes, including the NATO Partnership for Peace, which Georgia joined in 1994.
While the four ships were docking at Poti, other vessels from the group visited Ukraine’s Black Sea city of Odesa to conduct exercises with the Ukrainian Navy.
The SNMG2 vessels will leave Poti later this week.
The American vessel USS Oak Hill has docked in Georgia’s eastern coastal city of Batumi for the first time. According to the United States Embassy to Georgia, Oak Hill entered the Black Sea to demonstrate US commitment to the collective defense of its NATO allies and partners.
"Oak Hill entered the Black Sea to demonstrate U.S. commitment to the collective defense of our NATO allies and partners,” the US Embassy to Georgia has stated.
HMS Echo, a multi-role hydrographic survey ship commissioned by the Royal Navy, has entered Batumi Sea Port today.
As part of the bilateral Georgian-French defence cooperation, Guepratte, a multi-mission frigate of the French Navy will make a stopover in the Black Sea coastal resort of Batumi in Georgia from November 22-25.
French National Navy ship, Premier-Maitre L’Her, has arrived in Georgia’s coastal city Batumi to enhance the naval partnership between Georgia and France.
The United States Ship Ross entered Georgia’s Black Sea port of Batumi to mark “continued cooperation” between US and Georgia “by promoting regional peace and stability”. This is the ship’s first visit to the country.
Two Russian military ships have been tracking the United States Ship Ross that entered the Black Sea over a week ago. The USS Ross, which aims “to strengthen interoperability with NATO allies and partners”, is visiting Georgia’s Black Sea port of Batumi from April 21-25.
Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria has viewed the US guided-missile destroyer USS Ross in Batumi earlier today and stated that Georgia-US relations have never been so close.
The NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Center has received 15 brand new vehicles through the NATO Defence Capacity Building Trust Fund, with contributions from NATO Allies Norway, United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, Denmark, Italy, Portugal and Lithuania.
Residents of Georgia’s Black Sea port town of Poti have been protesting the 'unbearable smell of fish' in the city.
Georgian Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili has stated today that if fish factories in the Black Sea port town of Poti do not follow sanitary standards, work will be stopped.
The Georgian Border Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is hosting Standing NATO Maritime Group TWO (SNMG2) in the territorial waters of Georgia in the Black Sea port town of Poti. Within the visit SNMG2 will conduct combined maritime exercise training with Georgian Coast Guard vessels Ochamchire and Dioskuria.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) entered into the Black Sea today in support of NATO Allies and partners, announces the US Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet.
US military vessel Donald Cook has docked in the Georgian coastal city of Batumi in western Georgia today to participate in joint drills with the staff of the Georgian Coastal Guard Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, commissioned in 1998 and "homeported" in Rota, Spain, entered the Black Sea coastal city port as a show of support for regional security and stability.