Black Sea naval exercises proposed by NATO

MOSCOW, July 19 (UPI) -- NATO officials have proposed conducting mine-clearing exercises in the Black Sea in conjunction with the Russian military, Russia's Black Sea Fleet says.

The Russian military group said in a statement Saturday that the diplomatic proposal was initiated by German Navy Commander Eike Tammen, the head of the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2, RIA Novosti reported.

The proposal comes as warships from Germany, Greece and Turkey are already in the Black Sea region as part of a 2008 NATO-Russia Council cooperation schedule. All three countries are members of the international organization.

RIA Novosti said Ukraine has already agreed to similar Black Sea exercises with NATO and those maritime efforts are currently under way.