YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The United States on September 11 described its joint military exercise with Armenia as “a routine exercise that is in no way tied to any other events.”
“No, not at all. We routinely train and operate alongside our partners to maintain readiness, and we continually – continuously improve on the interoperability between our armed forces,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a press briefing when asked whether the exercise is designed forestall a potential Azerbaijani attack. “Armenia is a longstanding partner to the United States and has an enduring relationship since 2003 with the Kansas National Guard as part of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program. So no, this is a routine exercise that is in no way tied to any other events,” Miller added.
Miller also addressed Russia’s concerns over the exercises.
“ I think that given Russia has invaded two of its neighbors in recent years, it should refrain from lecturing countries in the region about security arrangements,” he said.
The joint Armenia-U.S. Eagle Partner 2023 military exercise commenced on September 11.
