NAN-F-34
Exercise
Moscow, July 21, 2017 (dpa/NAN) China and Russia began joint naval exercises on Friday in the Baltic Sea port of Baltiysk, in Russia’s western-most region of Kaliningrad, an exclave sandwiched by Poland and Lithuania.
“It is the first time in the history of Russian-Chinese relations that Chinese warships visited Baltiysk,” Russian Baltic Fleet official, Roman Martov, said in comments carried by state news agency, TASS.
Russia has been pursuing stronger relations with China in the past three years as it faces off with the West over the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia and China are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a Eurasian military, political and economic bloc formed in 2001.
In recent years, Russia has increased its military activity in the Baltic region, worrying former Soviet states turned NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
It is also provoking debate in Sweden and Finland about whether to join the Western military alliance. (dpa/NAN)
OYE/OPI
Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole and Olisa Ifeajika