MOSCOW, September 8 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian naval task force from the Northern Fleet will go on a tour of duty in the Atlantic Ocean and participate in joint naval drills with the Venezuelan navy in November, a Navy spokesman said on Monday. (Russian Navy modernized - Image gallery)

"In line with the 2008 training program and in order to expand military cooperation with foreign navies Russia will send in November a naval task force from the Northern Fleet, comprising nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy and support ships, to the Atlantic Ocean," Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said.

During the tour of duty, the Russian warships will participate in joint naval exercises with the Venezuelan navy.

"The decision to conduct Russian-Venezuelan naval exercises was adopted at the meeting between presidents in July this year," Dygalo said.

"During the exercise, ships and naval aircraft will practice coordinated maneuvering, search-and-rescue, and communications," he said.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez earlier said Venezuela would hold joint naval exercises with Russian warships in the Caribbean in late November-early December.

Russia announced last year that Russia's Navy had resumed, and would build up its continual presence in different regions of the world's oceans.

A naval task force from Russia's Northern Fleet, consisting of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, the Udaloy-Class destroyers Admiral Levchenko and Admiral Chabanenko, as well as auxiliary vessels, conducted from December 2007 to February 2008 a two-month tour of duty in the Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic.