Russia says war games with Chinese Navy pose no threatJuly 26, 2017 - 16:59 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia said late on Tuesday, July 25 that war games it is conducting with the Chinese Navy in the Baltic Sea, which has become a zone of heightened tensions between Moscow and the West, do not pose a threat to anyone, Reuters reveals. The exercise, which began on Tuesday, is a sign of how closely Russia and China cooperate militarily and will be seen as a show of force by Moscow in an area where NATO and Russian aircraft often intercept one other. "The actions of our sailors will be monitored by our numerous neighbors in the region," Russian Vice Admiral Alexander Fedotenkov was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Russian Defence Ministry. "Holding such an exercise is in no way a threat to other nations," he said. The Russian and Chinese ships, which set off from a Russian naval base near the Polish border, will practice shooting at naval and aerial targets, the defense ministry said. Other simulated tasks include inspecting a suspicious vessel, freeing a ship seized by pirates, and conducting a rescue and recovery operation at sea. The exercise, called "Sea Cooperation-2017," follows similar ones held last year. More exercises of the same kind will be held in mid-September in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, China's state news agency Xinhua reported last month. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Macron says France commemorates 109th anniv. of Armenian genocide Today France commemorates the 109th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915, Macron says. Pashinyan: We must stop searching for homeland, we have found that homeland Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Erdogan wants “realistic road map” for relations with Armenia Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a “new realistic road map” for relations with Armenia. Armenia-Azerbaijan: Experts launch work on determining coordinates Expert groups from the countries started the process of determining the coordinates based on geodetic measurements. |