(VOVWORLD) - Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have concluded their first joint naval exercise, Indonesia's navy said on Saturday.
 Russia's Severomorsk anti-submarine vessel (Archive photo: AFP/VNA) |
The three-day exercise off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra Island aimed at increasing interoperability between naval forces of ASEAN member states and Russia in the strategic maritime area.
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Brunei, and Indonesia have deployed their own warships or aircraft, while the Philippines took part in the drill online as an observer.
Aleksei Bolotnikov, commander of the Russian warship Admiral Panteleyev, said he hoped the next ASEAN-Russia exercise could take place in Vladivostok.