BASKO POLJE, May 22 (Hina) - The first part of a three-day protection and rescue exercise, "Taming the Dragon - Dalmatia 2002", which started on Wednesday morning in difficult conditions and on the demanding terrain of the wider area
of Makarska, ended successfully this afternoon. All segments of the exercise which were to take place today were completed.
BASKO POLJE, May 22 (Hina) - The first part of a three-day
protection and rescue exercise, "Taming the Dragon - Dalmatia
2002", which started on Wednesday morning in difficult conditions
and on the demanding terrain of the wider area of Makarska, ended
successfully this afternoon. All segments of the exercise which
were to take place today were completed. #L#
The international civilian-military exercise is part of NATO's
programme for this year and the largest exercise of the kind held in
Europe so far. This is the first NATO and Partnership for Peace
ground exercise in a Partnership for Peace member-country.
The exercise includes four groups of protection and rescue
operations: putting out open area fires, mountain rescue
operations, ruins search and rescue, and rescue operations on the
water.
Deputy Interior Minister Josip Vresk told reporters that Croatia
would live up to the trust it was given by being chosen to organise
this very complex and difficult exercise.
Around 1,200 people from 14 states, 250 vehicles, six planes, eight
helicopters, two pilotless aircraft, one navy ship and around ten
boats participated in the exercise, organised by the Croatian
Interior Ministry, with the support of the Defence and Foreign
Affairs Ministries, NATO, the U.N. and the Stability Pact for
South-East Europe.
The exercise is covered by some 80 reporters.
(hina) rml sb