Allies’ ships dock in Georgia’s ports
The USS Porter, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer of the United States Navy arrived in Georgia’s coastal city of Batumi for a port visit on October 22nd. With crew of 39 officers and 282 enlisted personnel, the USS Porter is capable of conducting exercises and operations in areas such as anti-submarine warfare and ballistic missile defense.
The visit highlights the continued cooperation between the U.S. and Georgia by promoting regional peace and stability.
Later, on October 27th, two more ships, this time of the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) entered Batumi to participate for the first time in three-day drills with Georgia’s coast guard personnel, covering joint underwater operations and maneuvering.
The SNMCMG2 was represented by two ships — the ITS VESUVIO (Italy) and TCG AMASRA (Turkey).
“The visit is very important as it carries a strong signal for the support of Georgia’s NATO integration. It is also significant from the practical point of view as it will boost the Georgian coast guard system’s compliance with NATO standards,” said the Head of the Georgian Border Police, Temur Kekelidze.
Captain Alessandro Falcone of SNMCMG2 has stated that Georgia is “one of the closest allies of NATO,” and the visit of the NATO ships points at the “close partnership” between the alliance and Georgia.
