Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2), consisting of the Romanian frigate ROS Regele Ferdinand and Turkish mine hunter TCG Edremit entered the Georgian territorial waters for a scheduled port visit. Two other vessels from the various Allied countries are also expected in Batumi Today. #NATOPortVisitinGEO2017
The visit is hosted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia and Embassy of Bulgaria to Georgia.
The delegation is led by the Allied Maritime Command Deputy Commander, Vice Admiral Herv Blejean of the French Navy.
Vice Admiral will meet with the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, Giorgi Mghebrishvili and visit Georgia’s Joint Maritime Operations Center.
A press conference is to be held by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia Giorgi Mghebrishvili, Allied Maritime Command Deputy Commander Vice Admiral Herv Blejean, Commander of SNMCMG2, Commander Justin Hains and the Deputy Head of Mission at NATO Liaison Office in Georgia, Rosaria Puglisi.
Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) vessels will remain in Batumi port till November 6 and will participate in various Passing Exercises along with members of the Georgian Coast Guard. The aim of set of exercises is to enhance interoperability between the Georgian, Allied and Partner forces.
It is the third visit of SNMCMG2 to Georgia. This port visit is a visible demonstration of NATO’s continued commitment to Georgia As part of the Partnership Interoperability Initiative, Georgia is one of five nations to which NATO offers enhanced opportunities for cooperation in recognition of their significant operational contributions to NATO.
SNMCMG2 is a part of operation “Sea Guardian” in Mediterranean Sea and assists secure international navigation at sea. They also serve as an on-call maritime force. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia participate in this operation “Sea Guardian” on the basis of tactical memorandum
An official from the Coast Guard Department of the MIA Border Police of Georgia has been a lesion officer to NATO’s Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) since 2014. The Border Police representative to NATO contributes to excellent execution of the above-mentioned operation.
