Russia and the United States startedjoint naval exercises in the Northern Atlantic on Friday, the Interfax news agency reported.

Assistant to the Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Igor Dygalo said the drill, the first in the bilateral relations, "will be an important practical step in strengthening mutual understanding at sea and improving security."

The antisubmarine vessels Severomorsk and Admiral Levchenko from Russia's Northern Fleet, and the US Hue City cruiser are participating in the drill, which is aimed at training search and rescue, communication and fairway navigation.

The joint exercise is scheduled to close on October 5.

Source: Xinhua