Interior Ministry marks Coast Guard Day, partner status for NATO-led Sea Guardian operation
Sharadze also rewarded 16 representatives of the Coast Guard for their “exceptional service”, and laid a wreath at the memorial of the servicemembers who died in the line of duty in the 2008 August war between Russia and Georgia. Photo: Ministry of Internal Affairs.
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Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs on Saturday marked the annual Coast Guard Day by handing out awards to servicemembers for their “exceptional service”, while also celebrating the granting of partner status to the country by NATO for the alliance’s Sea Guardian maritime security operation.
The Georgian Coast Guard service, which operates under the Ministry’s Border Police force, celebrated its 24th anniversary, with Major General Nikoloz Sharadze, the Head of the Border Police, and Ramaz Papidze, the Director of the Coast Guard Department, joined by representatives of local municipal authorities and other officials in the ceremony hosted in the Black Sea port city of Poti.
Photo: Ministry of Internal Affairs/Facebook.
Sharadze congratulated servicemembers on their professional day and highlighted their “important role” in ensuring maritime security of the country, as well as its commitments in support of international maritime initiatives.
Sharadze also rewarded 16 representatives of the Coast Guard for their “exceptional service”, and laid a wreath at the memorial of the servicemembers who died in the line of duty in the 2008 August war between Russia and Georgia.
Photo: Ministry of Internal Affairs/Facebook.
In remarks to Coast Guard professionals, he also stressed the “significant progress” made by the country in recent years, including the successful accomplishment of all four stages of NATO Operational Capability Concept Evaluation and Feedback Programme by the Georgian Coast Guard law enforcement tactical sub-divisions, which have resulted in alliance granting the country Operational Partner Status to the Sea Guardian operation.
Launched in 2016, the operation is aimed at “maritime security capacity building, [...] support to maritime situational awareness and to maritime counter-terrorism”, as well as being able to be used to “uphold freedom of navigation, conduct maritime interdiction, fight the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and protect critical infrastructure”, NATO has said.
Four high-speed Defender patrol boats have been added to the fleet of the Georgian Coast Guard with the financial support of the European Union, the Interior Ministry announced on Thursday.
Georgian Coast Guard service and a group of NATO vessels joined forces in drills in the Black Sea, the interior ministry reported on Friday.
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.
Five vessels of the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) were welcomed into Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi earlier today, with the interior ministry's coast guard department hosting the group for joint drills. Involving ships from Bulgarian, Italian, Romanian, Turkish and Spanish navies, the immediate reaction force fleet was welcomed by local authorities in Batumi before the Georgian coast guard and the NATO group embark on manoeuvres.
Allied Maritime Command, the central command of the NATO maritime forces, held an information training for the Georgian coast guard, introducing the service about the alliance’s maritime security operations, the Georgian border police said on Wednesday.
The Georgian Parliament's Defence and Security Committee on Monday ratified a document submitted by the country’s Interior Ministry on the participation of its Coast Guard Department professionals in NATO’s Sea Guardian maritime security operation.
The Georgian Parliament has approved the engagement of the country’s Coast Guard professionals in NATO’s Sea Guardian maritime operation in the final plenary session of the lawmaking body on the topic.
Professionals of the Coast Guard Department of the Border Police of Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs on Monday received awards for their service in an occasion marking the 25th anniversary of the body in western Georgia's port city of Poti.
The Emergency Situations Management Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has purchased four high-speed rescue boats to increase the effectiveness of rescue operations, the Ministry said on Tuesday.