Russia to Continue Military Cooperation With Central African Republic
14:21 28.06.2023 (Updated: 18:51 28.06.2023)
© AFP 2023 BARBARA DEBOUT
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Ambassador of the Central African Republic (CAR) to Moscow, Leon Dodonou-Pounagaza, earlier said that the CAR would like a Russian military base on its soil and was eager to cooperate with Russia, especially against the backdrop of security threats faced by the African nation.
Russia will continue military cooperation with the Central African Republic and keep military advisers in the country, the Kremlin's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov has told Russian journalists.
"We have state-level cooperation with the CAR. We will continue it. It is backed up by the necessary agreements. And, of course, our military advisers will continue their activities in the necessary and demanded quantity," the Kremlin representative said.
Recently, Rameaux-Claude Bireau, minister of defense of the CAR, told Sputnik that the African nation and Russia have been discussing setting up a Russian military base in the CAR, with the latter being interested in it due to security issues the nation is currently facing.
"But because we have security problems that last, and the Russian military wanted them to be by our army's side in order to help us with these security problems, and then think about the development of the country, these security problems are hindering development efforts, so we want to get it over with," he noted.
According to Alfred Tainga Poloko, the president of the CAR's Economic and Social Council, security issues in the Central African Republic have become less critical after the deployment of the Russian military instructors in the nation, with Bangui counting on Russia's further military assistance.
