NATO EXERCISE PLANNING CONFERENCE STARTS IN YEREVAN

Russia & CIS General Newswire
January 29, 2008 Tuesday 5:41 PM MSK

A planning conference on NATO Exercise Cooperative Longbow/Lancer
2008, which is to take place in the South Caucasus later this year,
started in Yerevan on Tuesday.

Armenian chief of army staff and Deputy Defense Minister
Col. Gen. Seiran Oganian said that the fact that 110 representatives
from 20 countries are taking part in the conference shows the
importance and significance of the upcoming exercises.

"The organization of military exercises in Armenia is becoming a
tradition. The first such exercise – Cooperative Best Effort – was
held in 2003, then the Exercise Rescuer in 2006, and then Combined
Endeavor in 2007. However, the Exercise Cooperative Longbow/Lancer
will be the largest exercise ever held in the South Caucasus in terms
of its scope and the number of countries involved," he said.

"The Exercise Cooperative Longbow/Lancer is aimed at arranging
cooperation in providing security and exchanging experiences,"
Oganian said.

Azerbaijan refused to take part in the conference despite the fact that
it had been invited, Oganian said. Turkish delegates are participating
in the conference, he said.

For details see the Interfax Military News Agency wire.