Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

Ukraine, U.S. discuss plans for joint naval exercise Kyiv, November 4 (Interfax) - A planning conference for the Ukrainian-U.S. naval exercise Sea Breeze 2010 is taking place in Naples.

The Ukrainian Navy working group is represented at the conference by Navy Deputy Commander Vice Adm. Viktor Maximov, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported.

The conference participants are planning to discuss the concept and venue of the upcoming maneuvers and determine their possible participants, the composition of the participating forces and their logistic support.

The conference is to last until November 5.

Ukraine and the U.S. have held bilateral naval exercises in the Black Sea aimed at improving the Ukrainian Navy's combat preparedness annually since 1997 except 2009. The exercises are open to other participants.

It was reported earlier that President Viktor Yuschenko's bill on admitting foreign military forces to Ukraine to take part in 11 multinational military exercises in 2009 was registered at the Verkhovna Rada on April 24, 2009. The Verkhovna Rada turned down the bill and then several times refused to reconsider it.