LJUBLJANA, Nov 17 (Hina) - The invitation to Croatian military +observers to follow a NATO military exercise which is to begin in +neighbouring Slovenia these days has been sent after all, not from +Brussels, but from Ljubljana, well
informed diplomatic sources +from the Slovene capital reported on Tuesday.+ The invitation to Croatian observers was motivated by the +development of bilateral military cooperation, even though Croatia +has not yet become a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace +programme, and comes despite the fact that the number of troops +participating in the exercise does not obligate Slovenia to invite +military observers from neighbouring countries to follow the +exercise, said the same source.+ The Slovene Ministry of Defence invited five delegates of the +Croatian military headquarters to visit on November 25 a Slovene +unit of 1,210 soldiers participating in the mil
LJUBLJANA, Nov 17 (Hina) - The invitation to Croatian military
observers to follow a NATO military exercise which is to begin in
neighbouring Slovenia these days has been sent after all, not from
Brussels, but from Ljubljana, well informed diplomatic sources
from the Slovene capital reported on Tuesday.
The invitation to Croatian observers was motivated by the
development of bilateral military cooperation, even though Croatia
has not yet become a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace
programme, and comes despite the fact that the number of troops
participating in the exercise does not obligate Slovenia to invite
military observers from neighbouring countries to follow the
exercise, said the same source.
The Slovene Ministry of Defence invited five delegates of the
Croatian military headquarters to visit on November 25 a Slovene
unit of 1,210 soldiers participating in the military exercise.
Whether Croatian observers would be invited to the military
exercise, or who was authorised to send an official invitation was
not determined until Tuesday.
A NATO official told Hina on Monday that only Partnership for Peace
member countries could participate in or observe NATO military
exercises. An invitation to non-member countries could be sent by
the country hosting the exercise.
A Slovene Foreign Ministry official reported that NATO was the
party authorised to send such an invitation, while a source from the
Slovene Embassy said that Slovenia had asked for NATO's approval to
invite Croatian observers, but had still not received their
answer.
The purpose of the military exercise, called "Cooperative
Adventure Exchange 98" and taking place near the Slovene-Croatian
border, includes members of NATO and Partnership for Peace, and is
aimed at training multinational units for rapid intervention as
part of United Nations humanitarian actions.
Slovene military analysts believe NATO will take the opportunity to
also evaluate Slovene units, their overall abilities, and their
interaction with NATO standards.
Slovenia expects the invitation to join NATO in April of 1999.
(hina) it jn/ha