MOSCOW, July 18. /TASS/. About ten Russian and Chinese ships will take part in the first stage of the Joint Sea 2017 naval drills that will be held on the Baltic Sea from July 21 to 28, the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

The first stage of the joint exercises will involve about a dozen naval ships and a dozen planes and helicopters from both sides, the ministry reported.

"The main aims of the exercise are to increase the efficiency in cooperation of the two fleets to counter threats to security at sea, train compatibility of the crews of Russian and Chinese combat ships, strengthen friendship and cooperation between the Russian Navy and the Naval Forces of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army," the Defense Ministry said.

According to the ministry, a group of Chinese naval ships will arrive in the Russian Baltic Sea city of Baltiisk on July 21, and a ceremony to unveil the exercises will be held on the same day. The active phase of the naval drills will be held between July 24 and 27.

The first Joint Sea naval exercises were held in 2012. This time, the naval exercises are expected to continue from mid-July to mid-September on the Baltic Sea as well as on the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan.