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NATO drills in Georgia increase tension - Russia's Medvedev
19:3016/05/2009
BARVIKHA (Moscow Region), May 16 (RIA Novosti) - NATO drills in Georgia
have increased tensions and have not contributed to international
security, the Russian president said after talks with Italy's prime
minister on Saturday.
"I think they will add nothing to the bank of pan-European security but
will on the contrary increase tensions," Dmitry Medvedev told
journalists.
The Cooperative Longbow/Cooperative Lancer 2009 command-and-staff
exercise, which Moscow has criticized as unhelpful in the wake of last
summer's armed conflict between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia,
runs from May 6 to June 1. NATO said earlier the exercise had been
planned before the Georgia war and was not aimed against Russia.
According to NATO, the drills in Georgia are aimed at improving
interoperability between NATO and partner countries, within the
framework of Partnership for Peace, Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul
Cooperation Initiative programs, and will not involve any light or
heavy weaponry. Russia was invited to take part in the exercises, but
declined the opportunity.
Over 1,300 troops from 19 NATO member or ally states were originally
scheduled to participate, but Kazakhstan, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova,
Serbia and Armenia withdrew.
19:3016/05/2009
BARVIKHA (Moscow Region), May 16 (RIA Novosti) - NATO drills in Georgia
have increased tensions and have not contributed to international
security, the Russian president said after talks with Italy's prime
minister on Saturday.
"I think they will add nothing to the bank of pan-European security but
will on the contrary increase tensions," Dmitry Medvedev told
journalists.
The Cooperative Longbow/Cooperative Lancer 2009 command-and-staff
exercise, which Moscow has criticized as unhelpful in the wake of last
summer's armed conflict between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia,
runs from May 6 to June 1. NATO said earlier the exercise had been
planned before the Georgia war and was not aimed against Russia.
According to NATO, the drills in Georgia are aimed at improving
interoperability between NATO and partner countries, within the
framework of Partnership for Peace, Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul
Cooperation Initiative programs, and will not involve any light or
heavy weaponry. Russia was invited to take part in the exercises, but
declined the opportunity.
Over 1,300 troops from 19 NATO member or ally states were originally
scheduled to participate, but Kazakhstan, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova,
Serbia and Armenia withdrew.