Russia Rejected Joint Exercise with NATO
The vessels of Russia’s Navy won’t take part in the Spirit 2008 exercise that NATO holds in the Baltic Sea, Igor Dygalo, the aide to the RF Navy’s commander, told Interfax Tuesday.
“Under the decision of defense minister, the RF Navy’s Command notified Lithuania via the diplomatic channels that the group of mine warfare vessels of the Baltic Fleet won’t participate in the Open Spirit 2008 international water exercise in the Baltic Sea,” Dygalo said.
The naval maneuvers aimed at clearing the Baltic Sea of the WW1 and WW2 explosives have been held by turn in the territorial waters of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia under the NATO’s Partnership for Peace program since 1996. Russia participated four times and our vessels spotted and destroyed roughly 60,000 explosives from 2003 to 2007.
Nineteen vessels of ten states, including Russia’s RT-231 harbor mine sweeper and BT-230 basic sweeper participated in the exercise past year. This year, Open Spirit 2008 will be held in Estonian water.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Aug. 20, 2008
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