“In our interaction, which is not directed against third countries, we are particularly careful to respect the principles of regional security,” he told the press, considering Latin America a continent of peace.
Asked about Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s new decree extending residency permits for foreign military contingents, including Russians, in the country, Zajárova said Moscow is open and transparent with Managua on the defense front.
Referring to the Nicaraguan President’s decision, the representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented that it is a routine procedure that is carried out twice a year when the country approves the law allowing the temporary entry of foreign soldiers into its territory.
He stressed that the goal is to promote cooperation in various areas, such as humanitarian aid and emergency relief in the event of disasters, or the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking, the TASS news agency reported.
He clarified that this law allows the presence of troops or advisors to the armed forces of several states, including Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico, Russia, El Salvador and the United States.
The Russian official explained that, in the case of her country, Moscow is developing equal and mutually respectful cooperation with its Nicaraguan partners on a variety of issues of common interest, including defense, in order to confront new challenges and threats.
This means that states and governments work on the basis of existing bilateral agreements; in particular the 2001 intergovernmental meetings on military-technical cooperation; to Combat Illicit Trafficking and Use of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances 2004; and on cooperation in the field of military vocational training in 2013.
According to Zajárova, the existence of such agreements is nothing out of the ordinary considering that this is a country that has seen more than a dozen armed interventions in its 200-year history.
“This applies not only to Nicaragua, but also to other states in the region with similar laws,” he warned.
mem/mml