MOSCOW, August 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Baltic Fleet vessels will join the Open Spirit 2007 international exercise in the Baltic Sea, which begins August 31, a spokesman for the Russian Navy said Wednesday.
Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said two Russian mine sweepers will join this year's exercise together with ships from 13 countries. The exercise has been held annually since 1997 within the framework of NATO's Partnership for Peace program, with the aim of sweeping Baltic States coastal areas for old WWI and WWII explosives.
Russia's Baltic Fleet ships have been participating in the annual Open Spirit international exercise since 2003.
This year the exercise, which runs from August 31 until September 10, will involve ships from Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belgium, France, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia.
