RUSSIA CALLS ON NATO TO CANCEL EXERCISE

Radio Netherlands
April 16 2009

Russia is demanding that NATO cancel or postpone a planned military
exercise in Georgia. It says the exercise, due to begin on 6 May,
is both a provocation and an infringement of its sphere of influence.

On Wednesday, NATO announced that 1300 troops from 19 countries would
take part in the military exercise in Georgia. The intention, said
NATO, is to see how military cooperation proceeds between countries
that are not members of the alliance, such as Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Kazakhstan.

In August 2008, Russian and Georgian troops clashed in Georgia in a
dispute over the breakaway region of South Ossetia.