ARMENIA WITHDRAWS FROM NATO DRILLS IN GEORGIA

Xinhua
May 6 2009
China

MOSCOW, May 5 (Xinhua) — Armenia will not participate in the NATO-led
military exercises in Georgia, Russian news agencies reported on
Tuesday, citing the Armenian Defense Ministry.

"Due to the current situation, Armenian troops will not take part in
NATO’s exercises in Georgia," the ministry was quoted by Itar-Tass
and RIA Novosti as saying in a statement.

A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that
Russia is satisfied with some countries’ decision to pull out of the
drills, Itar-Tass reported.

The planned exercises, scheduled for May 6 to June 1, have drawn strong
opposition from Moscow. About 1,300 soldiers from over a dozen NATO
member or ally states were originally scheduled to participate, but
Kazakhstan, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova and Serbia have already withdrawn.