IMS Press Release 31 Aug. 2001

Exercise Cooperative Key 2001 NATO/Partnership for Peace Exercise in Bulgaria Mlitary personnel from nine NATO nations and thirteen Partnership for Peace (PfP) nations will join forces in Exercise COOPERATIVE KEY 2001 (CK-01) which will take place from 11 to 21 September in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The exercise is based on a fictitious scenario in which aircraft and personnel of NATO and PfP nations respond to a United Nations' request to NATO to deploy a mult-national task force in support of humanitarian operations. CK-01 is one of the many NATO initiatives which promote dialogue, cooperation and interoperability between NATO and PfP nations in conducting Peace Support Operations (PSOs). Te exercise also provides for the first time, an opportunity for practising initial assessments as foreseen in the PfP Operational Cabilities Concept (OCC). Exercise participants will be drawn from the following NATO member nations: Canada, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, and the United States of America, and from the following PfP nations: Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1), Georgia, Latvia, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland. More than 1,300 military personnel and approximately 70 aircraft are expected to participate, together with representatives of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and several Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in support of CK-01's exercise scenaraio. CK-01 is scheduled by Admiral James O. Ellis, Jr., Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINCSOUTH) and will be conducted by Lieutenant General Ronald E. Keys, Commander, Air Forces South (COMAIRSOUTH). Note to Editors A Press Information Centre (PIC) will operate in Plovdiv, Bulgaria from 11 September 2001. Questions prior to the establishment of the PIC should be addressed to: Allied Forces Southern Europe Public Information Office: Major Tim Dunne tel: 0039 081 721 2437 fax: 0039 081 230 2791 email: pio@afsouth.nato.int Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.