ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
August 27, 2004 Friday 12:35 PM Eastern Time
Russian-Armenian joint military group ends exercises
By Tigran Liloyan
MARSHAL BAGRAMYAN TRAINING CENTER (Armenia), August 27 – A tactical
drill of the Russian-Armenian joint military force ended at the
Marshal Bagramyan Training Center on Friday with shooting exercises.
The training center’s range in located in Armavir, West Armenia,
close to the Turkish border.
The Russian-Armenian joint military force was formed within the
framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
The exercises were aimed to upgrade combat coordination in the joint
military force, drill commander, Armenian Deputy Defense Minister Lt.
Gen. Mikhail Grigoryan told Itar-Tass.
About 1,900 servicemen took part in the exercises. Armenia assigned a
motorized infantry regiment of the second army corpse with attached
tank battalion, artillery battalion, two reconnaissance groups,
sapper company and aviation to the drill, and Russia was represented
by a motorized infantry regiment of the 102nd base in Armenia with
attached artillery battalions.
Russian Ambassador to Armenia Anatoly Dryukov and military attachJ
from the U.S. and Greek embassies in Yerevan watched the exercises.
“Joint military exercises of Russia and Armenia have been held for
the past nine years,” Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisyan said.
“The exercises strictly complied with the training plan for this
year. They did not have any other goals. Next year the exercises will
engage much more forces.”