Russian, Chinese Navy to have drills in Mediterranean on May 11-21 - Defence Ministry

MOSCOW, May 11. /TASS/. The Russian-Chinese joint naval drills dubbed Joint Sea 2015 are due in the Mediterranean between May 11 and 21, Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov told reporters on Monday. "The drills will feature up to ten warships of the Russian and Chinese Navy," he said following negotiations between Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and China's Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission Fan Changlong. The deputy defence minister said the drills will practice joint action in security of shipping in the world ocean, to train practical cooperation between the two countries in counteracting threats of sea security. "The drills are not aimed against third parties and is not connected with the political situation in that region," he said. He also said other joint naval drills are due in August in the Sea of Japan to "practice joint participation in peacekeeping missions, as well as counter-terrorist and counter-piracy actions." "The Chinese friends have stressed it important to develop practice of the kind, as our countries face common challenges and threats," he said. During the negotiations, the Russian minister, he continued, thanked the Chinese counterparts for participation of Chinese combat ships in the celebration of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War at the naval base in Russia’s Novorossiysk (Black Sea). The joint command will include officers from the Russian and Chinese navies. Command and control of the joint drills will be exercised by Russian Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral Alexander Fedotenkov and Chinese Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral Du Czinchen, the Russian Defence Ministry said. Read more