BALTBAT FACES "GRADUATION TEST."

The Estonian-Latvian-Lithuanian joint battalion — BaltBat — yesterday launched its "Baltic Trial I" exercise at Latvia’s Adazi training grounds. Military personnel from Britain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland are also participating. Combining peacekeeping and combat components, the exercise is being described as BaltBat’s "graduation test," prior to the battalion’s possible deployment in a conflict theater next spring as a single unit. (BNS, November 10) Until now, BaltBat has supplied only companies and platoons attached to Nordic peacekeeping contingents under NATO operational command.

Lukashenka Proceeds with Russia-Belarus Security Committee.