InternationalMilitary training aims to enhance regional trust
Cooperative Longbow/Lancer NATO military training commences in Armenia
Published: Saturday October 04, 2008
Soldiers from the United States (far right), Armenia (far left), and other countries at the opening ceremony of NATO exercises in Armenia, in the shadow of Mount Ararat, September 29, 2008.
. Photo: Armen Hakobyan for the Armenian Reporter
Soldiers from the United States (far right), Armenia (far left), and other countries at the opening ceremony of NATO exercises in Armenia, in the shadow of Mount Ararat, September 29, 2008.
. Photo: Armen Hakobyan for the Armenian Reporter
Yerevan - Sheri Maclean is from Ontario, Canada. Even though this is her first visit to Armenia, the ancient country has already left a warm impression upon her. She has visited Republic Square, which according to her "is simply amazing." Armenian soldiers have also left a good impression on Officer McLean; some of them are able to communicate in English.
The Canadian soldier is one of 940 participants in the NATO Cooperative Longbow/Lancer military training and has been in Armenia for the past month. Our conversation is interrupted when her fellow soldiers call her for a photograph with the Canadian flag with the Biblical Mount Ararat in the background. The fascination with Ararat is widespread, especially as today the holy mountain has pushed aside the clouds and has revealed its wondrous peak. After the Canadians, the Americans take pictures, and then the Kazakhs, the Moldovans, and so on.
Officer Maclean and the other NATO soldiers are at the Armenian Defense Ministry's Vazgen Sarkissian Military Institute, where the opening ceremony of the Cooperative Longbow/Lancer military trainings took place on September 29.
Prior to the opening ceremony, Lieutenant General John D. Gardner, deputy commander, Land Component Command Heidelberg and Major General Arshaluis Paytyan, deputy chief of the General Staff of Military Forces of Armenia, held a press conference. NATO's Cooperative Longbow/Lancer military trainings are conducted annually and bring together NATO members, Partnership for Peace members as well as Mediterranean Dialog Nations and Istanbul Initiative Nations. "It is aimed at the implementation of crisis response processes within the framework of the UN's mandate, the main aim of which is improving the cooperation of NATO's soldiers and those of its partner countries in spheres such as doctrine, procedures, command headquarter systems and terminology," noted the American general. He thanked the Armenian side, headed by Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian, Major General Arshaluis Paytyan. and training co-chair Murad Isakhanian for their efforts and the large-scale preparatory works. Gen. Paytyan said that such military trainings within NATO's partnership are being conducted in Armenia for the second time.
The current military trainings will continue until October 20. Gen. Gardner first of all noted that such military trainings create the opportunity to establish relations, exchange experience and methods of working and improve the professionalism of all participating Armed Forces. He emphasized that 900 soldiers from seven NATO member and 10 partner countries are involved in the military training. More than 360 soldiers and officers from the Armenian Armed Forces are also participating.
"The military trainings consist of two phases: multination command headquarters military trainings on a brigade level and field trainings on a battalion level. If we study the staff of the posts, we can see the multinational essence of the military trainings. For example, the Cooperative Longbow battalion headquarters consists of officers from the following countries: the commander is from Switzerland, head of headquarters and the intelligence officer from Austria, the personnel officer from Armenia, the military-civilian officer from the U.S. and the communication officer from Moldova. The second part of the military trainings, the Cooperative Lancer, is a field training with the following battalion and headquarter staff: Commander - Armenia, Head of Headquarters - Austria, Chief Sergeant - USA, Action Officer - Bosnia and Herzegovina and rear guard officer - Greece. The battalion will work with three companies, one from Armenia and the other two comprised of different nations. This structure proves the multinational character of the event," noted Lt General John D. Gardner.
He clarified that during the field trainings mostly light arms are going to be used. Gen. Paytyan added that transportation and sanitary helicopters will also be used. Asked whether the Roubezh-2008 exercises recently organized within the CSTO and Russia cooperation framework and these military trainings will not affect or damage the bilateral cooperation, he said no. He noted that both military trainings had been planned in 2007 and were implemented according to signed contracts. In essence, according to the general's evaluation, the effectiveness of the military trainings organized within the CSTO framework was high and best results are expected from this military training, especially when "these military trainings are aimed at the maintenance of general peace." Even though during the planning stage it was decided that Georgia would participate in the ongoing military trainings with one battalion, as General Paytyan noted, "because of obvious reasons, Georgia's Armed Forces are not participating. In the preliminary phase it was decided that Russia would participate, but currently, naturally, it is not participating. As far as the others are concerned, including Turkey and Azerbaijan, each of them decides the level of its participation."
In a speech at the opening ceremony, Arthur Baghdasarian, secretary of Armenia's Security Council, stressed Armenia's complementary approach to cooperating with both NATO and the CSTO. "These military trainings are a very good example for successfully organizing Armenia-NATO activities and we are sure that cooperation will continue. Only a month ago the Rubezh-2008 military trainings conducted within the CSTO framework successfully concluded in Armenia. I am sure that this military training will also conclude successfully."
During his welcoming speech to the participants of the military training, Defense Minister Ohanian noted in particular that it is not a coincidence that the soldiers of NATO's Partnership for Peace and Istanbul Initiative Nations, 17 member states and NATO's different structures despite their diversity are preparing to jointly resolve all problems put before them during the training, as one team. "From this point of view I can only express regret that our neighbor EAPC (Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council) member states are not participating for different reasons. Unfortunately, this once again proves that security is fragile in the South Caucasus. I assure you that peace and stability are absolute values for the Republic of Armenia. We regard this military training as an important way of strengthening trust in the region," announced the defense minister.
