Parliament approves Coast Guard engagement in NATO Sea Guardian maritime 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.

The Interior Ministry said on Thursday Georgian professionals would be stationed on Greek ships for participation in the operations launched in 2016 to ensure maritime security capacity-building, support to situational awareness and maritime counter-terrorism in the Mediterranean, as part of an agreement between the body and the Greek National Defence Ministry. 

The Parliament ratified the involvement earlier this week, with the decision enabling 12 Coast Guard professionals from Georgia to participate in the forthcoming operation scheduled between September 16-29. 

Greece was the first country to express readiness to deploy the tactical unit of the Georgian Coast Guard on its ships for the operation, following the latter’s successful completion of the alliance’s four-year-evaluation programme and obtaining a partner status for the operation, the Ministry said. 

Georgia has become the first non-NATO member state to obtain the status, the body noted, adding the involvement in the operation was expected to upgrade the country’s interoperability with NATO naval components and allow Georgia to “contribute to peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic space”.