Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters the planned May 6 to June 1 exercises risk further undermining stability in the troubled Caucasus region. He spoke on the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers of Black Sea countries in the Armenian capital, Yerevan.
A NATO spokesman, Robert Pszczel, said the drills, involving 1,300 troops from 19 countries, are "no surprise" because they were scheduled long in advance. He noted that the exercises, which will be held 20 kilometers east of Tbilisi, will not involve the use heavy equipment.
