The United States and the NATO launch an unprecedented program of military assistance to Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, sources in the US European Command quartered in Germany evidenced. Specifically, according to their reports, the Baltic states, who have just joined the North-Atlantic Alliance, are ready to play an active role in such efforts. The Americans intend to continue "careful application of mild force' in the Caucasus. The Train and Equip Georgia program worth $64 million is an instance of a strategy of that type. According to the data of the Boston Globe newspaper, since May 2002 within that program the US has trained four battalions of Georgian infantry and a tank company. The Caspian Guard new US initiative is called to assist Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to strengthen the security of the Caspian region. At that the US and its allies do not keep back they are first of all interested in unimpeded supplies of the Caspian oil. Along with the US, Germany, Turkey and the UK make notable military contributions to the South Caucasian countries. As of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, they are ready to share experiences with Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on reforming armed forces to make them comply with the NATO standards. Besides, the three Baltic republics wish to assist in training frontier troops. Specifically, a two-day conference of representatives of the NATO defense departments, held this month by the George Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen German city, aimed at coordination of efforts in assisting the South Caucasus. According to the information of the Boston Globe, representatives of Georgia and Armenia participated in the forum.