JOINT EXERCISES ON THE LOWER DANUBE.

From August 12 through16, joint exercises will be held on the Lower Danube by navalvessels of Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, andfive Western countries. Russia, which is no longer riparian tothe Danube but keeps the Black Sea Fleet nearby, has been invitedto the exercises but its participation is uncertain. Code-namedDanube 95 and held under NATO’s Partnership for Peace program,the exercises will practice protection of river transport, UN-sponsoredrelief operations, and enforcement of embargoes with specificreference to the embargo on Yugoslavia. Russian military sourcestold Interfax August 9 that they saw the exercises as designedto expand NATO’s influence into Eastern Europe and the Black Sea.

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