NATO emphasizes important role of Georgia in ensuring security in Black Sea - Georgian Foreign Ministry
TBILISI. March 28 (Interfax) - Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani and NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller discussed cooperation between NATO and Georgia at a NATO-Georgia meeting in Brussels, the Georgian Foreign Ministry's press service said.
"The meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission addressed issues related to the Black Sea. The important role of Georgia in ensuring security in the Black Sea was emphasized," the Georgian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
The meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission was held in Brussels on Wednesday at the level of permanent representatives of the NATO member countries.
"It was stated in the meeting that the discussion on the Black Sea involving Georgia is very important in the context of the session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the NATO countries scheduled to be held in Washington on April 3-4, where the security of the Black Sea will be one of the main issues," the Foreign Ministry said in its report.
The meeting's participants called the security situation in the Black Sea region complicated, the Foreign Ministry said.
According to the ministry, the meeting of the commission addressed the important role and practical involvement of Georgia in ensuring the security of the Black Sea, including Georgia's active participation in the implementation of decisions on this region made at the NATO summit in Brussels.
In particular, the Foreign Ministry said this is expressed in NATO ships' calls to Georgian ports and joint events, including drills, the training of the boarding operation groups of the Georgian Coastal Guard, exchange of reconnaissance information, as well as in the development of Georgia's capabilities in air and sea monitoring.
The meeting was attended by Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani and NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry earlier said the issue of NATO-Georgian cooperation on Black Sea issues was the main issue addressed in the meeting.