The Georgian Interior Ministry extends cooperation with the law enforcement agencies of the western countries. This cooperation considers antiterrorist training as well. In this regard the Georgian law enforcers actively cooperate with the United States and the Great Britain.
On April 21-26 the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia paying an official visit to the Great Britain, during which he conducts negotiations with his counterparts regarding this issue.
At the same time, a group of 24 members of the Ministry is in the United States for one and a half month to undergo antiterrorist training with the American instructors.
During Koba Narchemashvili’s visit to London, an agreement was reached to sign a document between the interior ministries of the two countries, regarding cooperation between Georgia and the Great Britain in antiterrorism field.
“The agreement between the sides regarding the document was reached on April 22. The document will be either memorandum of understanding or a protocol”, Georgian Interior Ministry’s spokesman Paata Gomelauri, who is accompanying Interior Minister in London, told the Civil Georgia.
“The document might be signed during the visit as well” – he added.
As Gomelauri says, under this document the British instructors will train Georgian police units. The Georgian specialists will be trained in Georgia and in the Great Britain. “This would be a short-term ‘pilot’ training,” Interior Ministry official stated.
Paata Gomelauri says that the Georgian law enforcers will also receive a technical assistance form the British side. The negotiations regarding the similar assistance are in progress with the United States as well.
In antiterrorism field, Interior Ministry’s cooperation with the US is much tighter.
Along with that 24-member group, which is being trained in the US, “another 40-members group of the Ministry’s special forces might be sent to the US for 6 months and trained as instructors, so they would be able to conduct training upon return to the country” – says the press secretary.
Cooperation of the Georgian power structures with the US and the Great Britain was speeded up by the situation in Georgia’s troubled Pankisi gorge, where, according to the US government information, terrorist groups, linked to the Al-Qaeda are hiding. However, as Paata Gomelauri says, Narchemashvili’s visit to London is not connected with situation in Pankisi and this issue is not discussed with the British side.
Another important issue, which is discussed during the visit, is the reforms in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and exchange of experience with the British side in this regard. Reform of the law enforcing structures is among the main demands of the international organizations to the Georgian side.
Georgina Interior Ministry’s spokesman says that the cooperation of the Georgian police with the United States, and especially with the Great Britain is still in initial phase. According to his words, the Georgia will also initiate similar cooperation with other western countries as well and first of all with Germany.