Here on the Here on the Black Sea American sailors are giving lessons in search and seizure techniques. <br /><br />This training continued Wednesday as part of the U.S. Navy's two-day exercises with the Georgian coastguard. <br /><br />But the American presence here is about more than naval tactics. It signifies Washington's support for the Georgian government. <br /><br />Georgia - a NATO hopeful - fought a 5-day war with Russia in 2008 over the territory of South Ossetia. <br /><br />And Russia remains sensitive to Georgian military cooperation with the west. <br /><br />[Christopher Broker, U.S. Naval Trainer]: <br />"What we're doing today is training with our VBSS team, that's Vessel Board Search and Seizure. Showing a little cross training of what we do and sharing it with some of the Georgian coast guard here, in order to better our skills and also work on our relations." <br /><br />These exercises come as Russia said it has just finished setting up a coastguard division in the breakaway region of Abkhazia. <br /><br />are giving lessons in search and seizure techniques. <br /><br />This training continued Wednesday as part of the U.S. Navy's two-day exercises with the Georgian coastguard. <br /><br />But the American presence here is about more than naval tactics. It signifies Washington's support for the Georgian government. <br /><br />Georgia - a NATO hopeful - fought a 5-day war with Russia in 2008 over the territory of South Ossetia. <br /><br />And Russia remains sensitive to Georgian military cooperation with the west. <br /><br />[Christopher Broker, U.S. Naval Trainer]: <br />"What we're doing today is training with our VBSS team, that's Vessel Board Search and Seizure. Showing a little cross training of what we do and sharing it with some of the Georgian coast guard here, in order to better our skills and also work on our relations." <br /><br />These exercises come as Russia said it has just finished setting up a coastguard division in the breakaway region of Abkhazia.
