Russia to build naval base in Syria's Tartus

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said that Russia was planning to establish a  permanent naval base in Tartus, Syria, to improve Russia's military capabilities not only in Syria but also in the entire Middle East and the Mediterranean region.

Photo: AP photo

According to RIA Novosti, the documents for the project have been prepared. The agreement on the establishment of a Russian naval base in Syria is to be submitted to the Federation Council for ratification. According to first deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, Franz Klintsevich, the upper house of the parliament was ready to ratify the agreement quickly.

For the time being, Russia operates a logistics center in Tartus. Syria provided the center in 1977. Tartus is only support point of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea.

On October 7, Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia, General Nikolai Pankov, said that the ministry was considering a possibility to return to Sovet-era military bases in Vietnam and Cuba.

"Against the background of the current environment, the creation of Russian military bases abroad would be an adequate response to the strategy of deterrence against our country. The US and its allies have already encircled Russia with their military bases. Russia could thus raise its international status of a geopolitical player, promote and defend its interests," deputy director of the Tauride information-analytical center at RISI, Sergey Yermakov, told Pravda.Ru.

"It is an open secret that the US has a lot of military bases around the world. The advanced military presence is one of the trump cards of the American policy. Russia currently needs to find out what military bases in foreign countries are of greatest interest to us from the point of view of efficiency and financial costs," said Yermakov.

Pravda.Ru

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