LVOV, Ukraine, April 21 (AVN) - The 232nd combined forces proving ground located in the region's Yavorovo has been renamed to the International Peacekeeping Forces Training Centre, a spokesman for the western operative command staff told the Military News Agency.
The decision was made upon the returning of Defence Minister Alexander Kuzmuk and Land Forces Commander Pyotr Shulyak from their trip to the USA, the spokesman said. Their meeting in Pentagon settled the final formalities on giving the proving ground the status of an international military installation, he added.
Currently the Centre is preparing for the Peace Shield 2000 exercise which is scheduled for July under the auspices of the NATO-sponsored Partnership for Peace programme.
In the beginning of May the ground will host a field session of the parliamentary committee for national security and defence. The meeting will be attended by a group of representatives of the Defence ministry headed by Chief-of-Staff Vladimir Shkidchenko. The main question on the agenda will be the financing of the Centre.
Russian military observers are expected to be present at the Peace Shield 2000 training. A respective application has already been sent in, a source in the Defence Ministry told the Agency.
According to him, the Russian military are showing interest in the work of the new Centre, although no decision has been yet made upon training Russian peacekeepers there.
The second half of May will see a visit of a NATO delegation to Yavorovo. The commission is to make a final decision upon the terms of the beginning of the Centre's work. The delegation will also sign the programme of training for various categories of servicemen.