Albania at NATO military exercises in Georgia

TIRANA, May 6 – Albania is taking part at the NATO military exercises in Georgia on Wednesday after heavy criticism from neighboring Russia and a brief mutiny in the Georgian military.
Around 1,000 soldiers from over a dozen NATO member states and partners were to practice “crisis response” at a Georgian army base east of Tbilisi, around 70 kilometers from the nearest Russian troop positions in South Ossetia.
The military exercises are being held under NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme. Under this programme NATO works with non-NATO countries to build up military cooperation.
Russia has described the military exercises as NATO “muscle flexing.” Georgia has said the aim of the exercises is to bring Georgia’s military in line with NATO standards.
NATO is holding two different exercises in Georgia between May 6 and June 1.