International Baltops 2003 naval exercises start in Baltic Sea

The international naval exercises Baltops 2003 will be conducted in the Baltic Sea on June 9 to 20, the press service of the Russian Navy reports.

Taking part in the exercises will be two ships of Russia's Baltic Fleet - the big landing ship Kaliningrad and destroyer Nastoichivy. Before the start of the exercises both ships will call at the port of Gdynia in Poland for instruction.

About 50 European and U.S. warships will take part in the exercises, the press release says. Their main tasks are to practice joint maneuvering and interaction of naval ships and search and rescue actions.

The results of the exercises are to be summed up in the city of Kiel, Germany.

"The Russian Navy command regards the fact that Russian ships take part in the Baltic exercises as a possibility of promoting understanding among naval seamen in various countries for the benefit of peace and security in the Baltic region, the press release of the Russian Navy says.