NATO exercises of in Vasiani and Putin's revelations on Georgian democracy.

11 may 2009

The base of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Georgia in Vasiani, near Tbilisi, will host today the official opening of the multinational NATO exercises named "Cooperative Longbow 09/Cooperative Lancer 09" within the Programmes "Partnership for Peace", "Mediterranean Dialogue" and "Istanbul Cooperation Initiative". The preparatory stage of the exercises was started in Georgia on May 6.

Till May 19, Vasiani will host staff exercises "Cooperative Longbow 09", which assume mastering staff skills, NATO procedures and inter-compatibility of countries-partners in managing crisis situations at the level of brigade of multinational troops.

The scenario of the exercises is based on an invented operation of reacting to a crisis, performed by NATO under the United Nations' mandate.

Starting May 21, the territory of base will be the venue of field exercises Cooperative Lancer 09. They assume training multinational forces for peacemaking operations at the level of battalions.

According to Georgia's MoD, the parties in the exercises are the USA, Albania, Canada, Croatia, Spain, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Turkey, Czechia, Georgia, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Azerbaijan. At both stages in aggregate, about a thousand militaries will take part in the exercises.

The fact that the exercises are held in spite of the toughest opposition of Russia at all levels is no secret. I believe that the very fact of holding them in Georgia – a clear signal of the West towards Moscow – that Georgia, together with the Baltics, remains the main partner of the West in the whole post-Soviet space, therefore, these exercises are a sort of a litmus paper – defining, at the current stage, WHO IS WHO in the big political game.

And now briefly about Putin.

"We aren't speaking any more about the bloody events of last year's August and about the war, which we were driven to by the present Georgia's leadership. In the sense of democracy, in Georgia today, not a single standard today is protected. What was the need of holding military exercises there, which are obviously aimed at supporting the ruling regime? I think, such actions are a step back," said Putin in his interview that was put on the "NTV" Company.

It's not clear what standards of democracy is Mr Putin talking about? According to reports of the majority of most respected international organizations, Russia takes one of last places in the area of civil freedoms in the whole post-Soviet space; while Georgia is in the lead in these ratings. We remind you that by the count of journalists' murders Russia takes one of the top places in the world.

That is, it seemed to me, that in Putin's speech the words about democracy were frankly the weakest point; all the rest can be a subject of debate to this or that extent.

And maybe Vladimir Putin indeed believes in what he says, that is, he might have his own vision of democratic standards?:-)