NATO maritime fleet in drills with Georgian Coast Guard

The Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, an immediate reaction force of the alliance, is in Georgia's territorial waters for drills with the Georgian Coast Guard service.

Hosted by their Georgian colleagues, four vessels of the SNMG2 fleet entered the Black Sea coastline of the country in what has been called a "clear message of support" for Georgia from NATO by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to which the coast guard department belongs.

The interior ministry also said regular visits of NATO vessels to Georgia' Black Sea port cities were "one of the tangible results" of cooperation between the North Atlantic alliance and the country for "reinforcing Black Sea security".

The SNMG2 group on visit to Georgia's territorial waters involves its flagship Spanish frigate Cristobal Colón alongside counterparts Regina Maria of the Romanian navy, Turkish fleet's Kemalreis and Bulgaria's Smeli.

SNMG2 vessels were on visit to Georgia last year as well, when the port of Poti hosted ships from Bulgaria, Canada, Italy, Romania and Turkey in its docks.