Deputy Minister of Defense Anatoly Antonov told Russian media on Sunday that despite increased military and military-technical cooperation with countries in Latin America, Russia has no plans for military bases in the region.
The
Russian Ministry of Defense is working with its Latin American partners
to create a series of logistical support points, but has no plans
for the creation of military bases, Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly
Antonov said on Sunday.
"What we are talking about is helping [Russian] ships
on long-distance missions, to provide them with water, provisions,
places for their personnel to rest, and naturally, repairs for their
ships, if necessary," the minister explained.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu wrapped up his three-day tour to Latin America in Havana on Saturday, having visited Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. Among the issues he discussed with the statesmen of these countries were military and military-technical cooperation initiatives, as well as an exchange of views on issues of security in the region and around the world.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu wrapped up his three-day tour to Latin America in Havana on Saturday, having visited Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. Among the issues he discussed with the statesmen of these countries were military and military-technical cooperation initiatives, as well as an exchange of views on issues of security in the region and around the world.
On
Thursday, Shoigu's visit to Caracas included an agreement
to participate in joint air defense and artillery drills, and
negotiations on Venezuela's transition toward a new army logistics
supply system, with Russia's assistance. On Friday in Managua, Shoigu
signed an agreement on simplifying the visit of Russian navy vessels
to Nicaragua's ports, and discussed several other military-technical
cooperation agreements. Last fall, Russia had announced its intention
to provide the country with technical assistance in the construction
of a planned interoceanic canal that would serve as an alternative
to the Panama Canal. In Cuba on Saturday, Shoigu noted that Russia-Cuba
relations are "developing dynamically," and that the two countries have
very similar views regarding regional security and the need for global
multipolarity.
Russia is actively pursuing defense cooperation with Latin America,
which includes the sale of weaponry, construction of naval maintenance
and resupply facilities, as well as the occasional use of local airbases
by Russian strategic bombers on global patrol missions. In December
2014, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said that Moscow
plans to increase its military and technical cooperation with Latin
American countries via the development of ports and local airports
for military use.
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