Georgia enjoys new boat basin in Batumi due to US support
By Messenger Staff
Monday, September 7
Georgian and American officials opened a boat basin in Georgia’s western seaside town Batumi on September 3.
The new basin, constructed with $14 million in funding by the US government, provides a docking space for up to 15 vessels and will make the base of the Batumi Georgian Coast Guard an important operational centre.
In order to more increase the effectiveness of the Coast Guard, the United States will continue to render advisory assistance and also gifted a patrol cutter P-103, with the name Batumi.
“The boat basin is vivid proof of Georgian and American strategic partnership.
“The project was fully financed by Georgia’s major strategic partner and I want to thank the country’s government and its diplomatic representation in Georgia, “Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili said.
Charge d’Affaires of the United States to Georgia, Nicholas Berliner, has stated that the boat basin and the strengthening of Georgia's border and regional security capacities highlighted one more aspect of the vibrant US-Georgia security partnership.
At the final part of the opening ceremony, Irakli Gharibashvili thanked Georgia’s coast guards for their service and stated that much had been done in the course of three years in order to empower the coastal guard departments in Georgia.
“We have modernised the coastal guard fleet, increased the technical capacity of the boats and ensured their safe stationing,” Gharibashvili said.
