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SAVONLINNA, Finland, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin assured on Thursday that the ongoing Russia-China joint naval drill in the Baltic Sea was not meant to start new military alliance.
The cooperation between China and Russia brings balance to the world, and it is not directed against anyone, said Putin. "We are not starting military blocks," he added.
Putin made the remarks at a press conference in Savonlinna, eastern Finland where he was paying a working visit to observe the centenary of Finnish independence.
The joint naval exercise codenamed "Joint Sea 2017" kicked off in the past weekend in the Baltic Sea. The drill aims to jointly carry out rescue missions and protect the safety of maritime economic activities.
