IMS Exercise Announcement 11 June 2002

NATO and Partner Nations Conduct Field Training Exercise "Cooperative Best Effort 2002" Exercise Cooperative Best Effort 2002 (CBE 2002) will take place in T'bilisi, Georgia from 17-28 June 2002. Personnel from six NATO and nine Partner nations will form a multinational battalion that will train and improve their interoperability through the exchange of light infantry skills in a peace support operations scenario. In addition to the military training tasks, a multinational medical facility will be established as part of the exercise to offer medical care to the local population. Participating NATO nations in the exercise are: Canada, Greece, Hungary, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The Partner Nations involved in CBE 2002 are: Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine. CBE 2002 is the main annual field training exercise at a multinational small unit level in the Southern Region held in the framework of the Partnership for Peace program. It is one of a series aimed at fostering understanding and interoperability between NATO and Partner nations and improving effectiveness in the field. It is designed to enhance military interoperability through a variety of peace support operation tasks, providing basic knowledge of the conduct of such operations and serving as an important building block to higher-level land exercises. CBE 02 is scheduled by the Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINCSOUTH), Admiral Gregory G. Johnson, and will be executed by the Commander, Joint Command Southeast (COMJCSOUTHEAST), General Oktar Ataman, as part of the yearly programme of Southern Region training activities conducted in 2002. Note to the Editor A press information center (PIC) will be operational at Hotel "Old T'bilisi", T'bilisi, Georgia 14-18 June 2002. Media questions prior to the Establishment of the PIC should be addressed to: JHQ Southeast Public Information Office, Tel. +90-232-4484848 ext.2007/2008 Fax. +90-232-4484495 E-Mail: JCSEPIO@EFES.NET