TBILISI, May 11 (AVN) - Admiral James Lowe, commodore of the US Unified Coast Guard Staff, arrived in Georgia on Thursday, a spokesman for the Georgian Border Guard Department told the Military News Agency.
Lowe is planning to meet the department's chairman Lieutenant-General Valery Chkheidze on Saturday, the spokesman said. The two men will discuss establishment of the legal base for service in the Georgian Coast Guard, training of personnel for this body and transfer of US Coast Guard boats and other equipment to Georgia, he added.
As it was earlier reported, the US Congress decided to grant Georgia financial aid to help establish its Coast Guard. The amount of this aid is not yet specified. One of Lowe's main tasks is to assess Georgia's needs in money.
After the negotiations, Chkheidze and Lowe will visit the town of Poti, that was a military base of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet before 1991. They will take a look at the port's facilities and discuss establishment of a training centre for the Georgian Coast Guard in the town.