MAIN PLANNING CONFERENCE OF "COOPERATIVE LANCER/LONGBOW – 2008" EXERCISES KICKS OFF IN YEREVAN
ARMENPRESS
May 14, 2008
YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS: The main planning conference of the
"Cooperative Lancer/Longbow – 2008" Exercises kicked off today in
Yerevan and will last until May 16.
Overall 110 militaries of 30 nationalities are taking part in the
conference: 37 from various NATO headquarters, 63 representatives
from 21 countries who will participate in the exercises.
The following states have sent their officers to Armenia: 7 from NATO
member states (Canada, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, UK and USA),
13 from Partnership for Peace (PfP) program (Albania, Armenia, Austria,
Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Switzerland and
Ukraine) and 1 from Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (United Arab
Emirates).
During the conference the plan of military exercises will be
developed, legal issues will be agreed, programs of the events will
be coordinated.
The Deputy Chief of the General Staff of Armenian Armed Forces,
Major General Arshaluys Paytyan greeted the participation of the
representatives of more than 20 countries which witnesses the
importance of the event.
The Major General said the works of planning commission will pass in
warm atmosphere and during it all the organizational issues will be
discussed and solved. In the fall of the running year the exercises
will take place on a high organizational level.
"We have always expressed readiness to host such like events and
I assure that we are ready to openly receive all the participants
trying to ensure the utmost convenient conditions for them. This
will be the first exercise of such volume in this region and it
is an honor and responsibility for us and we must get ready to
it properly. " "Cooperative Longbow – 2008" is a NATO/PfP Command
Post Exercise (CPX) with Rapid Crisis Response Operations elements
for a Multinational Brigade (MB) on the planning and management of
peacekeeping operations. It is expected to have approximately 350
officers, warrant officers, and NCOs as participants.
"Cooperative Lancer – 2008" is a NATO/PfP Field Training Exercise
(FTX) with participation of a Multinational Battalion. The Exercise
will consist of three stages and as a result of the exercise the
involved troops will obtain skills in peacekeeping operations and
develop infantry skills in a realistic operational environment. This
exercise is expected to have 800 officers, warrant officers, NCOs
and privates as participants.