Georgian and NATO forces on Monday launched joint military exercises as part of the ex-Soviet country's bid to win membership in the 29-nation alliance that has infuriated its old master Russia.

Held at the Krtsanisi Georgia-NATO Joint Training and Evaluation Centre outside the capital Tbilisi, the 12-day drills "are a significant milestone in strengthening NATO-Georgia military-political cooperation," Georgia's defence ministry said.

The games involve 350 servicemen from the US, Britain, France, Germany and 17 other allied nations as well as Azerbaijan, Finland, and Sweden, the defence ministry said in a statement.

"The exercises are aimed at strengthening Georgia's defence capabilities and are not directed against any third country," deputy defence minister Lela Chikovani told journalists.

The prospect of Georgia joining NATO is seen by the Kremlin as a Western incursion into its traditional sphere of influence.

Tensions between Tbilisi and Moscow over Georgia's pro-Western trajectory and control of the pro-Western country's breakaway regions led to a brief but bloody war in 2008.

During the conflict over Moscow-backed separatist regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russia routed Georgia's small military in just five days, recognised the independence of the breakaway regions and stationed military bases there.

At a 2008 summit in Romania, NATO leaders said Georgia would join the bloc at an unspecified future date, but have so far refused to put the country on a formal membership path.

NATO condemns Russian 'build-up' in Crimea
Brussels (AFP) March 18, 2019 - NATO on Monday condemned what it called Russia's "ongoing and wide-ranging military build-up in Crimea" on the fifth anniversary of Moscow's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula.

As Russia celebrated what it terms its "reunification" with Crimea, NATO hit out at Moscow over its plans to further militarise the Black Sea.

The annexation of Crimea in March 2014 and Russia's role in the Ukraine conflict sent ties between NATO and Moscow plunging to post-Cold War lows.

NATO said there would be no return to "business as usual" with Moscow until there was a "a clear, constructive change in Russia's actions".

"We condemn Russia's ongoing and wide-ranging military build-up in Crimea, and are concerned by Russia's efforts and stated plans for further military build-up in the Black Sea region," NATO's ruling North Atlantic Council said in a statement.

The statement said NATO would never recognise Russia's annexation of Crimea and urged Moscow to return the territory to Ukraine.

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