Georgia to hold NATO exercises Georgia-2012

Georgia, Tbilisi, Sept 11 /Trend N.Kirtzkhalia/ NATO disaster response exercises Georgia-2012 will be held on September 22 -28. Some 11 teams from 30 countries will participate in the exercises under the auspices of the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre, the Georgian Defense Ministry said. The purpose of the exercises is to work out the actions during the natural disasters and to improve coordination between countries in similar situations. According to the scenario, an earthquake measuring 6.8 will occur at 35 km south of Tbilisi at 14:20 on September 20. Despite the fact that the capital of Georgia had not been greatly damaged, the nearest city to the epicenter Rustavi with a population of over 100,000 people would be in danger due to the available chemical plant, factories, as well as because of the proximity of pipelines, railways and highways. After a preliminary assessment of damage, a decision was made that international assistance is required through the Euro-Atlantic Coordination Center as Georgian rescue services are insufficient. The rescuers from Alliance member states and partner countries will take part in liquidating the earthquake consequences. They will be engaged in rescuing people trapped under the rubble. Moreover, the work for decontamination of toxic leaks is planned to be conducted. Such large-scale NATO exercises are held annually. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az