Five NATO ships, assigned to the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2), arrived on a three-day port call in Batumi on Georgia’s Black Sea coast on November 2.
The maritime group, which includes the German frigate FGS Rhein, Turkish TCG Erdemli, Bulgarian BRG Stibar, Romanian ROS Dimitrie Nicolescue and Spanish SPS Turia, is led by Frank Maginsky, Commander of NATO’s SNMCMG2.
The vessels will stay at Batumi port until November 5, and their crews will take part in joint exercises together with the Georgian Coast Guard, aimed at increasing interoperability between Georgia and the NATO.
Head of Regional Government of Adjara Tornike Rizhvadze said, the port call confirms NATO’s “unwavering support” for Georgia, and highlights “good partnership” between Georgia and NATO.
This is the SNMCMG2’s fourth visit to Georgia: three vessels made a port call in Batumi in 2013, four in 2016 and four in 2017.
MARCOM leads the Operation Sea Guardian, a non-article 5 maritime security operation aimed at working with Mediterranean stakeholders to maintain maritime situational awareness, deter and counter terrorism and enhance capacity building.
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