Ria Novosti, Russia
July 20 2004

RUSSIA NOT TO TAKE PART IN NATO EXERCISE IN LATVIA

RIGA, July 20. (RIA Novosti) – On July 20th, the Latvian city of
Aluksne will host the opening of the NATO international military
exercise Rescue Medcare.

This will be the year’s largest exercise, reported the Latvian
Defense Ministry’s press service. In April Latvia together with other
six East and Central European nations became a full-fledged member of
the Alliance.

According to the ministry’s spokesman Ivars Grinbergs, the
headquarters of the two-week exercise will be located in Aluksne, not
far from the Russian border.

The exercise itself will take place in the Latvian port of Liepaja,
where a naval base is stationed, the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda, in
the Estonian cities of Tallinn and Tapa and in the Bulgarian capital
of Sofia.

It will involve about 2,000 servicemen and civilians from 18
countries – Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, the USA, Germany,
Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Moldova,
Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan.

The exercise aims at “improving cooperation of armed forces with
state and non-state structures in managing critical situations,” the
press service reported.

Among other things, the participants will train methods of
anti-terrorist fight, humanitarian and medical assistance to
eliminate consequences of natural calamities.

The exercise is held as part of the NATO program Partnership for
Peace. It will be coordinated by the command of the US troops in
Europe.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress