President of Georgia met with the International Maritime Organization [IMO] Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez at the Presidential Palace.

The meeting addressed the “fruitful cooperation” between Georgia as a maritime nation and the IMO, Georgia’s shipping potential, and the working conditions of Georgian seafarers. Mikheil Kavelashvili thanked the organization and its secretariat for technical assistance provided to the country over the years.

As the President noted, Georgia has been a IMO member state since 1993 and "diligently fulfills" the obligations and commitments defined by IMO`s international legal instruments: "Georgia maintains and upholds the highest standards in maritime safety issues, ensuring seafarers` welfare, their training and certification, as well as marine environmental protection".

The meeting emphasized cooperation between Georgia and IMO`s educational institutions. Georgian graduates of the World Maritime University and the International Maritime Law Institute are currently employed in the country`s public sector and contribute to the development of this domain.

As Kavelashvili said, the need for marine professionals in Georgia is increasing year after year, and the nation presently employs over 19,000 active seafarers.