YEREVAN. April 27 (Interfax) - Armenia will not take part in NATO's Defender Europe 21 exercise.
"Armenian Defense Ministry units will not take part in NATO's Defender Europe 21 exercise," the ministry press service said on Tuesday.
The Defense Ministry said in March 2021 that none of its representatives had been involved in the process of planning Defender Europe 21.
"We've asked the exercise organizers to revise the list of exercise participants published on their website," the ministry told the state news agency Armenpress.
Armenian forces take part in military exercises organized by NATO and its member states as long as they promote international peace and stability and during which peacekeeping forces are trained for international missions or for specialized forces, it said.
"The organization of international military exercises and participation in them envisions a lengthy planning process consisting of several phases. A decision on participating in them is not made overnight," the ministry said.
Armenia and NATO are cooperating under the Individual Partnership Action Plan.
Armenia has been involved in international peacekeeping missions in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Syria since February 2004. Armenian specialists have been engaged in humanitarian demining efforts and providing medical aid.
The Defender Europe 21 exercise will involve over 30,000 troops from 27 countries and will take place on 30 ranges in more than ten countries.