British Defense Secretary John Reid on Sunday spoke highly of a UK navy team which played the key role in the deep-sea rescue of a Russian mini-submarine where the submarine's crew had faced dwindling oxygen supplies and low temperatures.

"I am delighted we have been able to offer assistance to this rescue operation, which has been a fine example of international cooperation in the face of great difficulty," Reid was quoted by the BBC as saying.

"Britain has a world-leading capability in the field of submarine rescue and we have been able to utilize that capability to save lives," the defense secretary said, adding "I'd like to offer my congratulations to all of those involved."

The British Scorpio craft, an unmanned remote-controlled underwater robot, sliced through nets entangling the submarine, which had been stranded for three days on the seabed 190 meters beneath the Pacific Ocean during military exercises.

In the operation which resulted in the seven crew members resurfacing alive Sunday, the Scorpio was accompanied by an operating crew of eight civilians and one Royal Navy member - as well as 20 other staff, including British police officers.

Assistance was also provided by a team of Russian experts and a small team of US divers who assisted with breathing apparatus, the BBC said.

The Russian foreign Ministry on Sunday gave its "profound thanks" to Britain, Japan and the US for their aid.

"The rescue operation has had a happy ending. I thank everyone, including of course the British rescuers," Russia's Pacific fleet commander Admiral Viktor Fyodorov was quoted by the BBC as saying.

Source: Xinhua