Russia wants naval bases abroad: report

[Zebra]

MOSCOW | Fri Jul 27, 2012 7:49am EDT

(Reuters) - Russia hopes to establish its first naval base abroad since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and is looking at Cuba, Vietnam and the Seychelles as possible locations, state-run RIA news agency quoted the navy chief as saying on Friday.

Russia has been increasing the reach of its navy in recent years, sending warships further afield as part of an effort to restore pride project power in a world dominated by the U.S. military.

"It's true that we are continuing work on providing the navy with basing outside the Russian Federation," RIA quoted Vice Admiral Viktor Chirkov as saying in an interview.

The Soviet Union had a large naval base in Communist ally Vietnam but post-Soviet Russia opted to vacate the Cam Ranh base in 2002, during President Vladimir Putin's first Kremlin term, because rent payments were a burden on state coffers.

The fate of Russia's only naval facility outside the former Soviet Union, a maintenance and supply facility in the Syrian port of Tartous, is uncertain because of the conflict in Syria.

Chirkov said Russia was "working out the issue of creating sites for material and technical support on the territory of Cuba, the Seychelles and Vietnam," RIA reported.

Chirkov's wording suggested facilities in those countries might be less extensive than full-scale naval bases. Navy officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang, who was in Russia and was to meet Putin on Friday, was quoted as telling a Russian radio station that Vietnam has "no intention of cooperating with any country with the aim of military use of the port of Cam Ranh".

However, Sang was quoted as telling Voice of Russia radio that a maintenance and service facility at the port would be open to ships from all nations and that, in the interest of furthering a "strategic partnership" with Moscow, Vietnam "will provide Russia with advantages in Cam Ranh, including with aim of developing military cooperation".

(Reporting By Nastassia Astrasheuskaya; Editing by Steve Gutterman and Alessandra Rizzo)

Russia wants naval bases abroad: report | Reuters

 

[W.G.Ewald]

From 1962:

Castro Reveals Soviet to Build New Cuba Port

Lawrence Journal-World - Google News Archive Search

 

[Armand2REP]

The Seychelles? They want to actively fight pirates or they just want to get in French business?

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Russia in talks on 'Cuba, Vietnam' naval bases: admiral

Russia in talks on 'Cuba, Vietnam' naval bases: admiral

 

[Ray]

Ideal would be Sri Lanka.

They like to sell themselves like Pakistanis to the highest bidder!

 

[Razor]

Russia denies plans for new navy bases abroad

Russia's Defence Ministry has denied reports Moscow its planning to set up its first new overseas navy bases since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

Earlier, a news agency quoted Russia's navy chief as saying that Cuba, Vietnam and the Seychelles were being considered as possible sites.

But the ministry said that Vice Adm Viktor Chirkov had never made the alleged remarks.

A lack of money after 1991 led to the closure of most Russian bases abroad.

It closed a base in Vietnam in 2002, and currently has bases only in Ukraine and Syria. President Vladimir Putin has pledged to restore Russia's military might.

In recent years, Moscow has expanded its navy's operations overseas, including by taking part in international anti-piracy operations near Somalia.

"It's true that we are continuing work on providing the navy with bases outside the Russian Federation," the RIA-Novosti news agency quoted Vice Adm Chirkov as saying in an interview.

According to the agency, he added that Moscow was "working out the issue of creating sites for material and technical support on the territory of Cuba, the Seychelles and Vietnam".

'Fantasy'

However, the defence ministry later insisted Vice Adm Chirkov had said no such thing, and that the subject had not been broached during the interview.

"Issues concerning international relations are not part of the responsibilities of the commander-in-chief of the navy," the ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

It added that the reported remarks were a "fantasy of their author, who preferred to prioritise sensationalism above competency and professional ethics".

In 2002, during Mr Putin's first term as president, Russia pulled out of the Cam Ranh base in Vietnam, opened in its then-communist ally at the height of the Cold War in 1979.

The closure came after the the original 25-year lease expired and Vietnam demanded a higher rent, but analysts say a desire to improve relations with the United States also played a role.

The country's remaining overseas bases are in Sevastopol, in Ukraine, where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is housed, as well as a small logistical support base in the Syrian port of Tartus.

Source: BBC