Interfax
Dec 2 2004

Georgia starts preparations for NATO exercise

Tbilisi. (Interfax-AVN) – Seven officers of the U.S. European Command
left for the Georgian region of Ajaria on Thursday to discuss details
of the upcoming Rescuer/Medceur command post and military medical
exercise with local administrations.

The military medical part of the NATO-sponsored exercise scheduled
for September 2005 will take place in the Ajarian autonomous
republic, “and it is time to determine the facilities that will be
involved in it,” Omar Begoidze, chief of the Partnership for Peace
coordination headquarters in the Georgian General Staff, told
Interfax-Military News Agency.

Tbilisi will host the planning conference of the exercise from
December 6 to 9, he said. In addition to Ajaria, the exercise will be
hosted by the locality of Vaziani not far from Tbilisi.
Georgia hosted previous exercises of this type in 2000 and 2003.

The conference will involve 73 officers representing the U.S.,
Georgia, Albania, Armenia, Moldova, Latvia, Germany, Ukraine,
Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and Macedonia, Begoidze said.

“All these countries will send their servicemen for the exercise in
2005, and Ukraine and Croatia have displayed special interest in the
event,” he said.
“Unfortunately, Russia does not send its representatives,” Begoidze
added.