The Black Sea is a bridge that connects two continents and is the gateway between Europe and the Middle East. It is strategically important and hotly contested.
A NATO standing maritime group enters the port town of Batumi in Georgia to exercise with the Georgian Coast Guard.
After Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and increase in its Black Sea Fleet, the security situation in the Black Sea has changed. Exercises like this one demonstrate NATO’s support for member and partner nations and improve working relationships between NATO’s Standing Naval Forces and coast guards.
Footage includes NATO ships arriving in Batumi and footage at sea of the Georgian Coast Guard and Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group Two (SNMCMG2) exercising together.
SHOTLIST:
1. (00:00) VARIOUS SHOTS – THE PORT TOWN OF BATUMI IN GEORGIA, EARLY MORNING, SHIPS IN THE PORT
2. (00:15) VARIOUS SHOTS – SHIPS FROM STANDING NATO MINE COUNTER-MEASURES GROUP TWO (SNMCMG2) ARRIVE EARLY IN THE MORNING AT BATUMI
3. (00:48) VARIOUS SHOTS – NATO OFFICERS MEET WITH LOCAL GEORGIAN OFFICIALS DURING CEREMONY TO WELCOME SNMCMG2
4. (01:25) VARIOUS SHOTS – CAPTAIN RAMAZAN KESGIN COMMANDING OFFICER, SNMCMG2 AND REAR ADMIRAL GIORGIO LAZIO, CHIEF OF STAFF, NATO MARITIME COMMAND MEET LOCAL GEORGIAN OFFICIALS
5. (01:35) VARIOUS SHOTS – GEORGIAN COAST GUARD AT PORT PREPARES TO GO OUT TO SEA TO EXERCISE WITH SNMCMG2
6. (01:51) VARIOUS SHOTS – GEORGIAN COAST GUARD DURING EXERCISE IN THE BLACK SEA
7. (02:20) VARIOUS SHOTS – SHIPS FROM SNMCMG2 DURING EXERCISE IN THE BLACK SEA
8. (02:57) VARIOUS SHOTS - LIEUTENANT BADRI SHENGELIA, GEORGIAN COAST GUARD DURING EXERCISE IN THE BLACK SEA
9. (03:14) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – REAR ADMIRAL GIORGIO LAZIO, CHIEF OF STAFF, NATO MARITIME COMMAND
“In order to see how important it is, just look at the map. You can see the Black Sea is bordered by Allies, by partners and the Black Sea is connected to the Mediterranean, which is connected to the wider ocean and waterways.”
10. (03:26) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – REAR ADMIRAL GIORGIO LAZIO, CHIEF OF STAFF, NATO MARITIME COMMAND
“What has not changed, and actually even stronger than before is NATO relevance and NATO commitment to our Allies and our partners in the Black Sea.”
11. (03:36) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – LIEUTENANT BADRI SHENGELIA, GEORGIAN COAST GUARD
“There are things such as violation of navigation rules, illegal fisheries, contraband and we are protecting our territorial waters against it.”
12. (03:49) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – LIEUTENANT BADRI SHENGELIA, GEORGIAN COAST GUARD
“One of the challenges that Georgian Coast Guard is facing is the maritime space that is bordering the occupied Abkhazia and where Georgia is not eligible to conduct its law enforcement activities.”
13. (04:07) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – MAJOR GENERAL VAKHTANG KAPANADZE, CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF, GEORGIAN ARMED FORCES
“Because Russia occupied Crimea, the military balance in the Black Sea absolutely changed, and now Black Sea countries need additional and different kind of format for Black Sea security, and I think and I believe that Georgia can play a significant role in this format.”
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