Chinese and Russian police are to hold a joint anti-terror drill in the Far East area of Russia next year, Russian Deputy Interior Minister Nikolai Ovchinnikov has announced in Moscow.

Preparations for the drill, the first ever between the police of the two countries, were already underway, said Ovchinnikov, without giving details.

The fight against terrorism was an important part of China-Russia police cooperation and a priority in the bilateral cooperation plan of Russia's Interior Ministry and China's Ministry of Public Security.

China and Russia began to conduct police cooperation in 1993 and signed an official cooperation agreement in 2003.

The two countries were carrying out "substantial cooperation on police affairs", including the fight against cross-border organized crime and smuggling, as well as personnel training and exchanges of information, he added.

(Xinhua News Agency September 3, 2006)