Russia, China to hold mediterranean joint naval drills

The Russian and Chinese navies will hold joint naval drills dubbed Joint Sea 2015 on May 11-21, Russia's Defense Ministry said.

"The active phase of the exercises will be held in the Mediterranean Sea. The subject of the joint drills is the protection of navigation safety in the remote areas of the World Ocean. The main aim of the exercises is to further deepen friendly and practical interaction between the two countries and strengthen joint efforts for countering naval security threats at sea," the ministry said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Russia-China naval drills are not aimed against any third country and have no relation to the political situation in the region, according to Russia's (ITAR-TASS) News Agency.

The Joint Sea 2015 exercises will involve about 10 warships from the Russian and Chinese navies, Russia's Defense Ministry said.