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ARMENIA PULLS OUT OF NATO WAR GAMES IN GEORGIA
Reuters
May 5 2009
UK
YEREVAN (Reuters) - Russian ally Armenia on Tuesday pulled out of
NATO military exercises due to begin in Georgia citing "the current
situation," after the neighboring state said it had put down a mutiny
at a military base.
Georgia, which said it quashed the rebellion at a base near Tbilisi,
accused Russia of trying to foment a wider uprising to disrupt the
month-long NATO exercises due to begin on Wednesday.
"In the current situation the representatives of the armed forces of
the Republic of Armenia will not participate in the NATO Partnership
for Peace exercises," the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a
statement, without elaborating.
Armenia is Russia's strategic ally in the South Caucasus.
Moscow has condemned the planned exercises as an attempt at NATO
"muscle-flexing," coming nine months after war between Russia and
Georgia over breakaway South Ossetia.
Former Soviet Kazakhstan and Serbia have also pulled out of the
exercises, which the Western military alliance says will involve
around 1,000 soldiers from over a dozen NATO member states and
partner nations.
Reuters
May 5 2009
UK
YEREVAN (Reuters) - Russian ally Armenia on Tuesday pulled out of
NATO military exercises due to begin in Georgia citing "the current
situation," after the neighboring state said it had put down a mutiny
at a military base.
Georgia, which said it quashed the rebellion at a base near Tbilisi,
accused Russia of trying to foment a wider uprising to disrupt the
month-long NATO exercises due to begin on Wednesday.
"In the current situation the representatives of the armed forces of
the Republic of Armenia will not participate in the NATO Partnership
for Peace exercises," the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a
statement, without elaborating.
Armenia is Russia's strategic ally in the South Caucasus.
Moscow has condemned the planned exercises as an attempt at NATO
"muscle-flexing," coming nine months after war between Russia and
Georgia over breakaway South Ossetia.
Former Soviet Kazakhstan and Serbia have also pulled out of the
exercises, which the Western military alliance says will involve
around 1,000 soldiers from over a dozen NATO member states and
partner nations.