Russia, Asean hold first naval drills off Indonesian coast

Russia and a number of Southeast Asian countries kicked off their first ever joint naval exercise along the Strait of Malacca, one of the world's most important shipping lanes, on Wednesday, Indonesia's navy said. The drills come at a time of growing tensions in the Pacific, particularly around the South China Sea. All ten members of Asean participated in Wednesday's drills. "This exercise is about peace, stability and prosperity in the region," Russia's ambassador to the bloc Alexander Ivanov said in a statement.