Combined Endeavor 2007 is a U.S. European Command-sponsored exercise that brings NATO, Partnership for Peace (PfP) and other nations together to practice interoperability of command, control, communications and computer systems from participating nations in preparation for future combined humanitarian, peacekeeping and disaster relief operations.
"This year, Armenia, as a primary operational zone, is hosting [military] delegations from Croatia, France, Russia, Georgia and the United States," Seiran Shaksuvaryan said, adding that the rest of the participants will operate from Baumholder, Germany.
Armenia has been a full participant in the exercises for the last five years and will become the main host country for Combined Endeavor starting in 2008, the official said.
"Cooperation between Armenia's Defense Ministry and U.S. European Command is developing successfully under several programs," Armenian Defense Minister Michael Arutyunyan said at the Combined Endeavor opening ceremony Friday.
He said Armenia and NATO had reached a preliminary agreement to conduct joint military maneuvers on the country's territory in 2008.
Combined Endeavor began in 1995 as a simple effort to bring NATO and former Warsaw-pact countries together under the auspices of Partnership for Peace, and has been held annually since then.
The current war games will be held from April 27 until May 10.
