Russian-American Torgau-2005 Exercises End

GRAFENWOHR (Germany) , June 3 (RIA Novosti, Taras Lariokhin) - Under the sounds of the national anthems of Russia and the United States, the flags of the two countries were lowered on Friday at the American base of Grafenwohr (FRG). The event signified the completion of the Russian-American Torgau-2005 Exercises which were going on at the American training ground since May 29.

We live today in the world which comes across great threats, especially from the point of view of international terrorism, General Burwell Baxter Bell, Chief of Staff of the US Army in Europe (USAREUR) and of the Seventh Army, said, speaking at the ceremony of closing the exercises. Such joint exercises can help overcome these dangers, he added. According to the general, the Russian servicemen showed great professionalism. He expressed confidence that the exercises of the Torgau series, named after the town of Torgau where a historic meeting of the Soviet and American troops took place on the Elbe in 1945, will be held also in the future.

For his part, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Land Forces Vladimir Bulgakov also emphasized the usefulness of such exercises. "They continued those traditions which were started by our fathers and grandfathers who defeated fascism 60 years ago," he said.

The Russian general also pointed out the professionalism of the participants in the exercises on both sides. These exercises, he added, have made their contribution to "the destruction of the wall of mistrust" which appeared in relations between Russia and the USA after the war.