The Bahrain General Organisation of Sea Ports (GOP) has signed a strategic MoU with Georgia for developing mutual co-operation to foster professional maritime training and international certification for seafarers in the Kingdom.

The MoU aims to develop and build stronger maritime bilateral relations through the exchange of knowledge, experience and personnel - students, professionals and administrative staff - utilizing maritime training centres to produce an increased number of highly specialist maritime personnel for both countries, said a GOP statement.

Early in the day, GOP director general Hassan Ali Al Majed and senior management officials representing maritime affairs welcomed the visiting delegation from the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia.

The high-level delegation led by George Karbelashvili, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, comprised Maia Sidamonidze, head of Georgian National Tourism Agency, Giorgi Pirtskhalaishvili, head of Road Transport Division of Transport Policy Department and Lasha Matiashvili, deputy head of Meteorological Service for Georgia.

The two sides discussed the importance of highly qualified professional seafarers and the benefit they bring to the maritime industry as a whole. 

'This agreement is a key milestone in bolstering the exchange of maritime training capabilities between the Bahrain and Georgia,' remarked Al Majed.

'We are confident that this would lead towards establishing a solid framework for mutual co-operation with the prime objective of strengthening the training and certification of the seafarers by fostering bilateral exchange of knowledge, experience and personnel,' he noted. 

“Establishing maritime training centers are a strategic step towards enhancing Bahrain’s maritime expertise and such agreements will help us at GOP to foster and produce a cadre of internationally trained and skilled maritime professionals,” the official added.

GOP continuously strives to ensure its skilled maritime workforce is qualified and certified to the highest international standards, with a focus on practical experience, which reflects the organisation’s vision and values, and a long-term commitment to its staff.-TradeArabia News Service