On January 29th at the launch of “Cooperative Lancer/Longbow - 2008” Exercises Initial Planning Conference (IPC) the Chief of the General Staff of Armenian Armed Forces-First Deputy Minister, Colonel General Seiran Ohanyan and the Deputy Chief of Staff of Allied Land Component Command Heidelberg, Brigadier General Claudio Vercellotti have had greeting and opening speeches for the participants.

Overall 110 militaries of 25 nationalities took part in the conference: 36 from various NATO headquarters, 39 representatives from 20 countries who have already expressed readiness to take part in the conference and 35 from the Armenian Armed Forces. 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 Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI). The following states have already expressed interest to take part in this phase of the planning process (IPC) and sent their officers to Armenia: 8 from NATO members (Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, UK and USA), 11 from PfP programme (Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine) and 1 from ICI (United Arab Emirates). “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. The aim of the IPC is to develop the main exercise documents and concepts. An application to host the “Cooperative Lancer/Longbow - 2008” exercises on its territory the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Armenia presented to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe on the 19th of July 2006. NATO officially accepted Armenian offer to host the exercises on the 23rd of October 2007.