Russia, Kazakhstan to hold joint naval drills in 2009

Russia and Kazakhstan will conduct joint naval exercises in the Caspian Sea in 2009, the commander of the Caspian flotilla said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW/MAKHACHKALA, September 23 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Kazakhstan will conduct joint naval exercises in the Caspian Sea in 2009, the commander of the Caspian flotilla said on Tuesday.

"These exercises will be aimed at practicing anti-terrorism operations and will be conducted both on land and at sea," Vice Admiral Viktor Kravchuk said.

Russia, which is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), has been strengthening military ties with Eurasian allies amid growing tensions over NATO expansion and U.S. missile shield plans for Central Europe.

The CSTO is a security grouping comprising Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.