TBILISI. Dec 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Leaders of the CIS coast guard bodies will hold the first meeting in Tbilisi in summer 2003 at an initiative of the Georgian State Border Guard Department.
"During the meeting, we plan to sign an agreement on the cooperation of Russian and Georgian naval border guards," chief of the department's naval subdepartment Captain Ramaz Papidze told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
He said that Georgian naval border guards are cooperating with their colleagues from the Black Sea countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine.
"Unfortunately, such close ties are not yet established with Russia," Papidze stressed.
Before the meeting, officials of naval border guard departments from the two countries are likely to exchange visits to reach a preliminary accord on cooperation that will later be documented in Tbilisi, he said.
Papidze did not rule out that the training of Georgian naval border guards in Russian training centers will be discussed. He stressed that Georgian and Russian border guards will also consider holding joint exercises.
The Georgian Coast Guard Service was established in 1996. It consists of two battalions based in the Adzharian autonomous region and the port of Poti. The battalions operate 35 patrol, rescue and guard boats. Germany, Great Britain, Turkey, the United States and Ukraine are providing aid to Georgia in the sphere of coast guard development and personnel training.