Vladivostok welcomes Royal New Zealand Navy

VLADIVOSTOK, June 10 (RIA Novosti's Anatoly Ilyukhov). A visiting force of the Royal New Zealand Navy came to Vladivostok, the main Russian city and naval base in the Far East, on a first-ever friendly visit today, the Pacific Fleet told RIA Novosti.

The visit that will last until June 13 and was marked by artillery salute will include a broad agenda: guests will lay wreaths to the Pacific Fleet war memorial, go on a tour onboard the S-56 memorial submarine that crossed the Arctic seas successfully during the WWII to go on combat operations in the Atlantic, and play football and volleyball friendlies with cadets of the Vladivostok-based Pacific Naval Institute.

According to a Fleet official, Russian warships once visited New Zealand over 120 years ago but that visit was all but forgotten, which makes this visit all the more important for naval diplomacy.