SERBIA REFUSED TO PARTICIPATE IN NATO TRAININGS IN GEORGIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.04.2009 17:21 GMT+04:00

The Serb servicemen will not participate in the Cooperative Longbow
09/Cooperative Lancer 09 trainings scheduled in Georgia for May 6-June
1, 2009, Balkan Insight reports. "Our soldiers will not leave for
Georgia; by the way we have sent a notice about it to Russian Embassy
in Belgrade," the agency reported to the Serbian Foreign Ministry.

According to the report, the Defense Ministers have agreed to such
position, and the Government is now required to introduce relevant
changes to its annual plan on Serbia’s cooperation with NATO.

According to earlier reports, the Serbian servicemen were going to
participate in the training. However, "After the conflict in the
Caucasus, the Foreign Ministry submitted a negative conclusion on
sending servicemen to Georgia."

Khazakstan, Estonia and Lithuania had notified of their
non-participation earlier.

Russia is strictly against "supporting the aggressor". NATO claims
that such maneuvers bear a systematic character and pose no threat
to Russia. Besides, the alliance offered that the Russian observers
be present in Georgia during the trainings, however, Russia turned
down the proposal. Moscow declared that RF will cancel joint meeting
with NATO in case trainings take place.