This year, Azerbaijan and Russia plan to hold military exercises in the Caspian Sea. The head of the press service of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Vagif Dargyahly, said that drills will be held on the basis of the agreement reached by the presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia in September 2014 at the summit of Caspian littoral states in Astrakhan, and a cooperation plan for 2015, signed in Baku in October 2014 between the defense ministers of Azerbaijan and Russia.
"Plans for the naval drills include implementation of actions on search, rescue, anti-smuggling, as well as tasks on other humanitarian issues," Dargyahly said. In October 2014, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu after talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Zakir Hasanov agreed to carry out joint naval exercises next year.
"They are working out the action for the protection of navigation, safety of maritime economic activities, as well as rescue and humanitarian assistance. We will develop other areas of cooperation in the Caspian Sea. In particular, it will be in the field of navigation and hydrographic support navigation and information exchange on the above-water environment for joint counteraction to illegal cross-border activities of criminal groups," Shoygu said. He also said that Russia continues the practice of calls by warships at ports, this year they are planning a visit by the Caspian Flotilla squadron to the port of Baku.
"In 2015, detachments of ships of the Caspian Flotilla will take part in joint international exercises with the naval forces of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan within the framework of the planned activities of international military cooperation between the Caspian littoral states," the head of the press service of the Southern Military District, Colonel Igor Gorbul said. "Tripartite joint drills of naval forces of the Caspian states are scheduled for June and July 2015 in the middle of the Caspian Sea.
The Russian Navy will be represented by a detachment of new ships of the Caspian flotilla composed of small artillery and the two small missile ships Makhachkala, Grad Svijazhsk and Uglich," he said.
The ships will work out procedures for the invasion of a territory controlled by a foreign fleet, joint navigation and maneuvering, exercises with artillery fire on sea, air and shore targets. In addition, ships will conduct exercises on search and rescue support and assistance to a vessel in distress.
