> > > NATO, Partners Begin Military Exercise in Georgia > > TBILISI, Jun 11, 2001 -- (Reuters) Some 4,000 > servicemen from 11 countries began a NATO training > exercise near Georgia's Black Sea port of Poti on > Monday aimed at deepening cooperation between the > military alliance and countries to the east. > > Soldiers from the United States, France, Italy, > Turkey, Sweden and Greece were participating in the > two-week exercise with others from Azerbaijan, > Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Georgia. > > International Red Cross officials were also taking > part. > > "The main purpose of the exercises is to carry out > coordinated activities among military forces of NATO > and its partner countries, deepening collaboration in > the military sphere and also carrying out humanitarian > operations," Georgian Defense Ministry spokesman > Mirian Kiknadze told Reuters. > > The exercises will take place onshore and aboard 40 > vessels in the Black Sea, he said. > > Romania and Bulgaria are among nine eastern European > candidates for NATO membership. Alliance leaders will > meet in Prague at the end of next year to decide > whether to allow further expansion to the east after > three countries -- Hungary, Poland and the Czech > Republic -- were admitted in 1999. > > Former Soviet Ukraine, sandwiched between Russia and > Europe, has made overtures to NATO but has been > careful to avoid saying it wants to join it. > > Azerbaijan has suggested that NATO bases be > established on its soil to counterbalance a Russian > military presence in neighboring Armenia, with which > Azerbaijan is locked in a grinding dispute over the > Nagorno-Karabakh territory. > > Western-oriented Georgia says it has aspirations to > join, to the annoyance of its giant northern neighbor > Russia. > > Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze said on Monday > the NATO exercises marked a step toward bringing > Georgian armed forces up to NATO standards. > > "As to the political side, we could consider the NATO > exercises as confirmation of the readiness of our > country to move towards deeper Euro-Atlantic > integration," Shevardnadze said in a regular radio > broadcast. > > Georgia has pressed for the closure of all four > Russian military bases on its soil. Two bases will be > closed down by July and the two sides are negotiating > a timetable for closure of two other bases. > > > STOP NOVOM SVETSKOM PORETKU ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bUrBE8.bVKZIq Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [email protected] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
