16-27 June 2003

Cooperative Best Effort 2003 The main NATO and Partnership for Peace (PfP) land-based exercise, Cooperative Best Effort 2003, is taking place at the Vazgen Sargsian Military Institute in Armenia, 16-27 June. This is the first time that Armenia is hosting a NATO/PfP exercise, which will bring together approximately 400 troops from 19 different NATO and partner countries. Participants come from Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1), Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and Uzbekistan. It is also the first time that Russia is participating in this type of exercise, with staff officers and an infantry squad integrated into the exercise's multinational force structure. The aim of the exercise is improve land force effectiveness in the field by making NATO and partner contributors work together to develop better understanding and interoperability. Based on a fictitious scenario, it also aims to provide knowledge on peace support operations at small unit level and serve as a building block for higher-level land exercises. Cooperative Best Effort 2003 is scheduled by the Allied Forces Southern Europe (AFSOUTH) and conducted by the Joint Command South (JCS). Additional information: AFSOUTH Press Release: Exercise Co-operative Best Effort 2003 Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.