BASKO POLJE, May 24 (Hina) - The three-day protection and rescue military exercise held under the name "Dragon Taming - Dalmatia 2002" ended successfully near Makarska on Friday.
BASKO POLJE, May 24 (Hina) - The three-day protection and rescue
military exercise held under the name "Dragon Taming - Dalmatia
2002" ended successfully near Makarska on Friday. #L#
The exercise was very well organised and carried out successfully,
Vice-Premier Drazen Budisa said, thanking on behalf of the
government all participants and states which participated in the
largest exercise ever held in Europe.
He said that according to expert assessments, the exercise was a
technical and practical success. It undoubtedly has a strong
political dimension, considering the number of countries
participating, he said.
Mladen Jurin, the exercise's chief director, said that it had been
very well conceived and carried out, and was completely successful.
He said that this was also the view of numerous NATO observers and
the team assessing the exercise.
"We have succeeded in our chief task -- to adjust to NATO activities
in such circumstances, not only in Croatia, but the entire region,"
Jurin said.
He stressed that all countries in the region took part in the
exercise, which meant that a possible disaster anywhere in the
region could be overcome successfully by using the experience from
the exercise.
The chief coordinator of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe,
Erhard Busek, said after the exercise that it was a sign that a joint
action by all countries of the region was possible, and was also a
symbol of Europe's integration.
(hina) lml