Russian warships have departed on a mission to join a NATO-led anti-terrorist operation in the Mediterranean, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Monday.

"The Active Endeavors operation will begin in the Mediterranean Sea. A Black Sea Fleet task force will drill interaction in combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, illegal weapons trade and illegal migration," Ivanov told President Vladimir Putin, quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency.

The Russian naval task force comprises the Moskva missile cruiser, the Azov landing ship and the SB-36 tugboat. The mission will last two to three months, Ivanov said.

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer plans to visit the Moskva missile cruiser, Ivanov said.

Russian and NATO defense ministers will also be meeting on Sicily, Italy, as part of the Russia-NATO Council's session to discuss cooperation on key problems of global and regional security with focus on combating terrorism, nuclear proliferation and illegal arms trade, he said.

Source: Xinhua