On 14 May at the beginning of “Cooperative Lancer/Longbow - 2008” Exercises Main Planning Conference (MPC) the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of Armenian Armed Forces, Major General Arshaluys Paytyan and the Deputy Chief of Staff of Allied Land Component Command Heidelberg, Brigadier General Claudio Verchellotti have had greeting and opening speeches for the participants.

Overall 110 militaries of 30 nationalities took part in the conference: 37 from various NATO headquarters, 63 representatives from 21 countries who will participate in the exercises. Invitations to participate in “Cooperative Lancer/Longbow - 2008” exercises were sent to the member states of NATO, Partnership for Peace (PfP), Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) and (ICI). The following states have sent their officers to Armenia: 7 from NATO members (Canada, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, UK and USA), 13 from PfP programme (Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Switzerland and Ukraine) and 1 from Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (United Arab Emirates). During the days of the MPC the Exercise plan will further developed, legal issues will be agreed, training events and manning lists will be coordinated etc. * “Cooperative Longbow - 2008” is a NATO/PfP Command Post Exercise (CPX) with Rapid Crisis Response Operations elements for a Multinational Brigade (MB) on the planning and management of peacekeeping operations. It is expected to have approx. 350 officers, warrant officers, and NCOs as participants. “Cooperative Lancer – 2008” is a NATO/PfP Field Training Exercise (FTX) with participation of a Multinational Battalion. The Exercise will consist of three stages and as a result of the exercise the involved troops will obtain skills in peacekeeping operations and develop infantry skills in a realistic operational environment. This exercise is expected to have 800 officers, warrant officers, NCOs and privates as participants.