Russian warship to join Indonesian navy drill

MOSCOW (BNS): Russian Pacific Fleet's destroyer Admiral Panteleyev will take part in IMDEX-2011 naval exhibition and hold joint drills with the Indonesian navy.

Admiral Panteleyev, an Udaloy class destroyer, will visit Singapore where a three-day biennial IMDEX Asia International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX) will begin tomorrow. 

The Russian destroyer will stay in Singapore until May 20 and then depart for Indonesia to take part in anti-piracy drills with the Indonesian navy from May 25-27.

The simulated mission would involve the rescue of a tanker seized by pirates, Pacific Fleet spokesman Capt. 1st Rank Roman Martov was quoted as saying.

Admiral Panteleyev took part in the international anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast in 2009 and seized a boat carrying 29 suspected pirates, a Ria Novosti report said.

Presence of Russian fleet in Ukraine to be discussed in Kiev

Ninth session of Russian-Ukrainian intergovernmental committee on Black Sea Fleet deployment in Ukraine will be held in Kiev on Jan 27. 

On Apr 21 Russia and Ukraine agreed that presence of Black Sea Fleet in Crimea would be prolonged for 25 years with possible further extension; in exchange, Ukraine got a discount for Russian natural gas. 

"Ukrainian delegation will be headed by deputy foreign minister Ruslan Demchenko, Russian one – by deputy foreign minister Grigory Karasin", said press secretary of Ukrainian foreign ministry Alexander Dikusarov. 

According to him, the commission will analyze readiness for signing an agreement between Ukraine's cabinet of ministers and Russian government regulating movements related to BSF activities in the territory of Ukraine.