Armenia said on Wednesday it would host a joint military exercise with the United States next week, a development that Russia said was cause for concern, Reuters reported. 

The Armenian Defense Ministry said the purpose of the September 11-20 "Eagle Partner 2023" exercise was to prepare its forces to take part in international peacekeeping missions.

A US military spokesperson said 85 US soldiers and 175 Armenians would take part. He said the Americans—including members of the Kansas National Guard which has a 20-year-old training partnership with Armenia—would be armed with rifles and would not be using heavy weaponry.

Earlier it was reported that in the framework of preparation for participation in international peacekeeping missions, the Armenia-US joint military exercise EAGLE PARTNER 2023 will be held from September 11 to 20 in Armenian. 

The exercise involves stabilization tasks between conflicting parties during peacekeeping mission, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia informs Armenian News-NEWS.am. 

The purpose of the exercise is to increase the level of interoperability of the unit participating in international peacekeeping missions within the framework of peacekeeping operations, to exchange best practices in control and tactical communication, as well as to increase the readiness of the Armenian unit for the planned NATO/PfP Operational Capabilities Concept evaluation.