KYIV. Nov 21 (Interfax-AVN) - Ukraine is interested in capitalizing on the Spanish peacekeeping experience, as well as experience in conducting military exercises and establishing liaison, Kyiv says.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry press-service told Interfax-AVN on Tuesday that Chief of the Spanish Defense Staff Army General Felix Sanz Roldan had officially been welcomed to Ukraine as part of a visit of a Spanish military delegation, after which he had paid a visit to Ukrainian Defense Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko.
The Spanish general also met with Chief of Ukrainian General Staff/Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Serhiy Kyrychenko as part of negotiations between the Spanish and the Ukrainian military delegations.
The sides discussed regional security, developing bilateral defense cooperation, and shared their experience in reforming and developing the Armed Forces.
"We have shared information useful to both sides. For instance, Ukraine is interested in studying the Spanish experience in deploying peacekeeping forces, conducting military exercises, and establishing a liaison system, adapted for joint operations," Kyrychenko was quoted as saying.
He briefed his Spanish counterpart on the fulfillment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Development Program for 2006-2011.
In the course of the visit, the Spanish delegation went to the Situations Management Center of the Ukrainian Central Command Post and the Ukrainian National Defense Academy.
On Tuesday morning, the Spanish delegation left for Chernihiv to examine combat capabilities and materiel of the 1st Independent Armor Brigade, the 8th Army Corps.