TEHRAN (Tasnim) � An Iranian naval fleet berthed at the Russian port of Astrakhan after three days of sailing as part of its two-week Caspian Sea mission.

The Iranian Navy�s Peace and Friendship Flotilla, comprising homegrown destroyer Damavand as well as Peykan and Joshan frigates, arrived in Astrakhan in southern European Russia on Thursday.

The port call is aimed at promoting peace and friendship and strengthening Tehran-Moscow cooperation in preserving the security of the Caspian Sea.

A total of 200 Navy servicemen are aboard the fleet in this mission, which is planned to last 14 days.

The purpose of the mission is to have an exchange of experiences, boost preparedness, and respond to a recent visit to Iran of a Russian naval fleet as part of routine naval interactions, Iran�s Navy has said.

Damavand, a 100-meter-long destroyer weighing more than 1300 tons, officially joined the Navy�s northern fleet in the Caspian Sea in March.

By Tasnim News Agency