GEORGIA SEEKS JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES WITH WEST.

Defense Minister Vardiko Nadibaidze announced yesterday that Tbilisi is discussing with Washington and NATO the possibility of conducting joint military exercises in Georgia. In its effort to create national armed forces, Georgia needs to cooperate both with NATO and with Russia, Nadibaidze said. But he complained that cooperation with Russia’s Defense Ministry "stagnates." (Russian agencies, September 22) Nadibaidze attended and praised as "exemplary" the U.S.-led CentrasBat-97 exercise, held last week in Central Asia; a Georgian platoon also participated.

Azerbaijan Sentences Spy for Iran.