The Head of MIA Border Police, Major General Nikoloz Sharadze, met with the representative of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Hannah Thoburn, and the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, Kelly Degnan.
The Director of the Coast Guard Department, CAPT Ramaz Papidze, U.S. Defense Attaché to Georgia, Colonel Stephanie Begley, and the Chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC), Lt. Col. Povilas Strazdas attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the directions of the ongoing cooperation within the framework of the existing strategic partnership between Georgia and the United States. The parties also reviewed the security environment in Georgia and the region, focusing on Black Sea security issues and, in this context, the role of the Coast Guard. The members of the delegation received detailed information on the projects, infrastructure and equipment upgrades implemented at the Border Police under the auspice of the U.S..
The Head of the Border Police Nikoloz Sharadze talked about the ongoing reforms and projects in the agency and thanked the American side for the successful cooperation. The Director of the Coast Guard Department delivered a presentation on the Georgian Coast Guard.
The participants of the meeting also talked about the prospects of deepening the bilateral cooperation. The U.S. delegation reaffirmed its support for Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as for strengthening security and increasing capacity in the region.