KYIV. April 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Participants in the Cooperative Osprey 2003 multinational command post exercise (CPX) that is taking place in Romania have started practicing interaction between marine units involved in a large-scale peacekeeping operation.
"The first stage of the Cooperative Osprey 2003 exercise that is taking place in the framework of NATO's Partnership for Peace program has started in the Romanian capital of Bucharest," the Ukrainian Defense Ministry press service reported on Friday.
The CPX involving officers of a marine brigade of the Ukrainian Navy will end on April 7.
Participants in the exercise also practice the conduction of escort operations, search and lifting of minefields, inspection of vehicles at checkpoints, protection of installations, and patrolling of localities, the press service said.
Ukrainian servicemen will also participate in the second stage of the CPX that is to take place at the U.S. Norfolk Navy Base in June this year.
The first stage of the exercise involves a Romanian and a U.S. marine battalions. At the second stage, they will be joined by a composite battalion manned by marines from Azerbaijan and Georgia.