Serbia refused to participate in NATO trainings in Georgia

PanARMENIAN.Net - 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.