Armenia to participate in the training "Combat Commonwealth 2017"  within the framework of the CIS against the backdrop of refusal to  participate in NATO exercises

ArmInfo. The Armenian delegation headed by the Chief of the Air Defense Forces of Armed Forces, Colonel Armen Vardanyan will take part in the meeting of the  Air Defense Coordination Committee under the Council of CIS Defense  Ministers and in the joint trainings "Combat Commonwealth 2017" in  Moscow and Astrakhan from September 4 to 6.

The delegation headed by Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia,  Lieutenant-General Movses Hakobyan will also take part in the final  of the training "Combat Commonwealth 2017" in Astrakhan, Defense  Ministry's press service told ArmInfo.

Meanwhile, it became known on the eve that Armenia at the very last  moment refused participation in the NATO trainings Agile Spirit 2017,  which are held in Georgia from 3 to 11 September. It is noteworthy  that Armenia has given its consent to participate in NATO exercises,  which was also stated by high-ranking representatives of the Ministry  of Defense of the Republic. Moreover, Armenia's refusal to  participate in the exercises was unexpected for the host country, as  stated by Georgian Defense Ministry spokesman Georgi Kajarava. The  United States, Georgia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Romania  attend the trainings.

The Armenian Defense Ministry did not give a clear explanation on  this score, and expert circles are inclined to believe that Yerevan's  decision is conditioned by Moscow's pressure.

To note, a similar situation was recorded in 2009, when Armenia also  gave its consent to participate in NATO trainings, but refused at the  very last moment.