On 4 June, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Mamuka Bakhtadze, stated that Georgia is ready to play a larger role in the Black Sea’s security, reported georgiatoday.

The statement was made during the presentation of the implementation of the 2018 - 2020 government program. On that occasion, the Georgian government drafted a new legislation, which would make it easier for NATO ships and naval vessels to visit Georgian waters and dock at Georgian ports.

The report noted an intensification of visits from NATO vessels in Georgia’s part of the Black Sea. In 2019, NATO navy officers conducted training with the Georgian Coast Guard, whilst ships from Bulgaria, Romania, the Netherlands, the US, and the UK have all visited Georgia in recent months.

Previously, Bakhtadze visited Romania and Bulgaria in order to intensify the cooperation among the Black Sea states.