VILNIUS 's Lithuania is playing host to a major military exercise as part of its NATO membership duties.
It is the eighth time that the country has been the location for the training exercise, codenamed Amber Hope, which involves around 1,700 military and civilian personnel from Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Finland and other NATO members and partners. Georgia, Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine have sent official observers.
The two-week exercise allows troops to share their experience from previous missions and prepare for participation in future NATO-led operations. The exercise is aimed to boost the mutual understanding of the countries involved and to establish joint military procedures that are likely to be of use when several different armies operate under a single command, as is the case in Bosnia Herzegovina and Afghanistan.
Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus will be among the onlookers, along with defense ministers from several of the nations involved.
