BEIJING, Rajab 11, 1436, Apr 30, 2015, SPA -- China will hold joint naval drills with Russia in mid-May in the Mediterranean Sea, the first time the two countries will hold military exercises together in that part of the world, Reuters quoted the Chinese Defence Ministry as saying on Thursday. China and Russia have held naval drills in Pacific waters since 2012. A total of nine ships from the two countries will participate, including vessels China now has on anti-piracy patrols in waters off Somalia, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng told a monthly news briefing. "The aim is to deepen both countries' friendly and practical cooperation, and increase our navies' ability to jointly deal with maritime security threats," Geng said. --SPA 13:29 LOCAL TIME 10:29 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w