DUSHANBE, August 6, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- International computer drill, dubbed Regional Cooperation ‘2009, is going on in Tajikistan.

Launched on July 31, the drill runs through August 10, according to the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe.

The drill, involving representatives of defense departments from Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the United States, is aimed at rehearsing coordination of actions relying on coming information.

According to the drill scenario, teams of the nations participating in the exercise simulate that they stay in their countries and coordinate actions, relying on reconnaissance information.  They are also working out plans of responding to the information received and appearance of terrorists as well as coordinating delivery of humanitarian aid to Tajikistan.

Tajikistan hosts the large-scale exercise, Regional Cooperation, for the first time.  The main purpose of the exercise is in enhancing cooperation between Central and South Asian countries in providing border security, combating terrorism, illegal migration and drug trafficking as well as in mitigating effects of emergencies.

History of the Exercise Regional Cooperation starts in 1997 from the Exercise Central Asian Battalion (CENTRAZBAT).  The first Exercise CENTRAZBAT was held in 1997.  During CENTRAZABT ’97, more than 900 military personnel combined with more than 500 U.S. military troops to hone their skills in peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance.    The purpose of the exercise, conducted in the spirit of the NATO Partnership for Peace program, was to enhance regional cooperation and increase interoperability training among NATO and Partnership for Peace nations through the practice of combined peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance operations.