Russian Defense Minister visits Latin America to boost military ties

Americas, Europe, News February 14, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

The Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu succeeds in increasing Russian sphere of military influence as he wraps up his three-day visit to Latin American countries, Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

Russia is actively pursuing cooperation with Latin American countries, particularly in the sphere of defense amid NATO’s military expansion in Eastern Europe, a tendency that has raised concerns in Moscow.

Shoigu has described the talks with his Venezuelan counterpart Vladimir Padrino Lopez as “constructive and fruitful.” He added, “We discussed a broad range of issues linked to military and military-technical cooperation”.

Russia has now become the main supplier of weapons for Venezuela. The cooperation in this sphere is based on an intergovernmental agreement signed in May 2011 in Moscow.

Russia supplies to Venezuela military helicopters of various types, including MI-17B-5, MI-35M and MI-26T. Venezuela’s army also has Russia’s Kalashnikov AK-103 assault rifles. Under the earlier reached agreements, Russia has transferred to Caracas technologies on the licensed production of these small arms.

Russia has also fully implemented a contract on the supplies to Venezuela of 24 Su-30MK2 multi-role fighter aircraft.

Venezuela’s army has now in service Russian tanks T-72B1V, armored vehicles BMP-3 and BTR-80, as well as artillery systems Grad, Smerch and Msta-S, and various air defense.

During his visit to Latin America, Russian defense minister also met with the leaders of Nicaragua.

Sergei Shoigu, said that Russian and Nicaragua authorities signed several agreements aimed at expanding bilateral military-technical cooperation, including an agreement that allow Russian warships to visit ports in the Latin American country.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu during his meeting with Cuba’s President Raul Castro, said, “The Russian-Cuban relations in the military and military-technical sphere are developing in a constructive way.”

“Cuba, which has survived in the conditions of a blockade for over half a century, continues firmly and consistently following the track of defending its national sovereignty and implementing its development model,” Shoigu said.

Shoigu also said that today the good and time-tested relations between Russia and Cuba are revitalizing. The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Havana in July 2014 gave an impetus to strengthening bilateral ties, he said.

“Our priority is to implement the agreements reached during the highest level meetings,” he said.

Shoigu also thanked the Cuban side for a reception of Russia’s Navy vessels during the call at the port of Havana.

Russia is actively pursuing cooperation with Latin American countries, particularly in the sphere of defense, which includes sales of weaponry, construction of naval maintenance and resupply facilities, as well as the occasional use of local airbases for hosting Russian strategic bombers on global patrol missions.

In December 2014, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said Moscow plans to increase its military and technical cooperation with Latin American countries by developing their ports and local airports for military use.

However, last month Russian Defense Minister Shoigu cited President Putin’s words that “Russia is not going to be involved in a costly arms race, but at the same time the country’s defense capability is ensured”.

RBTH/SN/CT/TAAS