TIRANA, July 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Multinational military exercise "Adriatic Engagement 2005", with the participation of Albania, Macedonia and the United States, started in Albania on Monday.

    About 1,500 troops from the US navy and Marine Corps, Albanian land forces, diving and helicopter groups and Macedonian engineer platoon and special forces participate in the 20-day exercise, which includes field exercises, search and rescue, diving, fire fighting, victims' evacuation, operation of sea intercepting and attacks with small boats.

    The exercise focused on the development of individual and groupfighting skills of participant-countries' armies, as well as the promotion of friendship, mutual understanding and the cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the regional allies, sources of the US embassy in Macedonia were quoted by the Macedonian Information Agency as saying. Enditem