----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, June 25, 2000 8:50 AM Subject: [STOPNATO] Albanian exercises STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.COM Manoeuvres of Multinational Excercise Kick Off TIRANA - The manoeuvres of the multinational humanitarian enterprise began on Friday with a ceremony at the Military Academy Skenderbeg in the capital, an event considered by President Meidani as the most important activity the Albanian army is conducting this year. It will aim recognition training as well as exercises on humanitarian operations and peacekeeping missions. “This comes only few days after the first anniversary of the NATO victory over the forces of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic,” Meidani told participants of fourteen countries participating in the enterprise, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UNHCR. Great Britain, Greece, Turkey, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia and Georgia will be some of the participating countries of the manoeuvres. Defense Minister Luan Hajdaraga said that the aim of the war game will the step up of “operability and cooperation between NATO and the participating countries.” On Thursday he said that the exercises are important “in a regional plan to address the proper message to Milosevic’s regime. But they also serve to enhance the qualities of the Albanian army in emergent humanitarian interventions.” The biggest enterprise for the army was last year, where several units were engaged in assisting the plight of Kosovo Albanian refugees who entered Albania. Albania will engage the commando brigade in the exercises, which will focus in humanitarian operations. This is also the most important exercise the NATO has held with the Partnership for Peace countries this year. The exercise will be led by the commander of NATO’s Izmir-based Joint Command Southeast, Turkish General Tamer Akbas. “I want to thank Albania for the wonderful arrangements for the exercise,” Akbas said during the ceremony, which saw all the units participating parade while national anthems were being played by the Albanian Army’s Orchestra. Fourteen countries will participate in the enterprise, including five NATO countries, in operations that will last until July 1. ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb
