Cairo, Feb 21 (IANS) Egyptian and Spanish naval forces held joint military drills in the Red Sea, Egypt's armed forces said in a statement on Saturday.

The joint exercise is the second in recent days, after the two navies held similar drills on February 14 also in the Red Sea, the Xinhua news reported.

The training involved various activities, including carrying out sailing formations, surveillance of suspected ships, night transportation, helicopter landing on helidecks of marine units and more, according to the statement.

The Egyptian military highlighted the importance of the joint drills "in consolidating Egyptian-Spanish bilateral relations and enhancing the horizons of military cooperation between the two countries, which contributes effectively to maintaining maritime security and stability in the region."

--IANS int/rs