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Russian navy to participate in NATO Mediterranean maneuvers

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MOSCOW, February 6 (RIA Novosti) - A naval group from the Black Sea Fleet will participate in a NATO exercise in the Mediterranean, Russia's defense minister said Monday.

Sergei Ivanov, who is also a deputy prime minister, told a government meeting that the Active Endeavor maneuvers would start at the end of this week and the Russian naval group would proceed with a combat duty tour after their completion.

He said that the goal of the joint exercise was to practice coordination between NATO and Russian ships in the fight against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the illicit arms trade and illegal migration.

Ivanov said the group would return to its home port of Sevastopol in two or three months after visiting Tartus, Syria's second most important port on the Mediterranean.

Ivanov also said he was planning to meet with his Italian counterpart in the port of Messina in Sicily.

A meeting of Russia-NATO Council last November approved a joint plan for 2006, including 42 events designed to enhance the interoperability of the Russian and NATO forces.

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