NATO exercise due in Armenia September 15 - October 21

PanARMENIAN.Net - The first stage of Cooperative Longbow/Lancer 2008 NATO exercise within Partnership for Peace program will kick off in Armenia on September 15, the training programs coordinator told a news conference in Yerevan.

 

Belgian army lieutenant colonel Marc Devos said the command staff exercise will last 2 weeks, from September 15 to October 21. "The exercise will be conducted in the Military Institute after Vazgen Sargsyan. The first stage will bring together 84 servicemen from Armenia and 170 representatives of NATO member states. The second stage will include 320 Armenians and 748 NATO representatives, including 75 servicemen from NATO land forces in Heidelberg. The scenario of the exercise is as follows: an armed conflict breaks out in the Atlantic Ocean and NATO is asked to launch a peacekeeping operation. The exercise will be conducted under command of brigadier general Claudio Vencellotti and deputy chief of the RA armed forces general staff, major general Arshaluys Paytyan," Devos said.

 

He also informed that 340 thousand euro was allocated for the first stage of the exercise. The second stage will cost 350 thousand euro. "The host country should ensure security of the exercise participants. If any country requests extra guard, the host country is obliged to provide it.