CAIRO, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The naval forces of Egypt, Britain and France took part in joint training exercises in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, the Egyptian military said in a statement Monday.

Egyptian military spokesman Tamer al-Refaay said the exercises come as part of a plan by the Egyptian Armed Forces General Command to activate military cooperation with friendly countries.

The maritime drills carried out jointly with the British navy included training on the modern techniques to detect and handle sea mines in light of their serious impact on navigation at harbors and sea lanes of major strategic importance, he said.

The spokesman added that the Egyptian and French navies carried out exercises with live ammunition in the Mediterranean, simulating scenarios of countering terror threats on the high sea and inspecting suspected ships.

Egypt annually holds several military exercises with Arab, African and Western countries to boost military cooperation and exchange military expertise with friendly states.