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1st LD Writethru: Russia, Cyprus renew defense agreement extending military facilities

Xinhua, February 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

Russia and Cyprus renewed a defense cooperation agreement during an official visit by President Nicos Anastasiades to Moscow, an official statement issued in Nicosia said on Wednesday.

The statement said the agreement extends military facilities for Russia on Cyprus providing for the anchoring of Russian warships in Cypriot ports.

It did not mention landing of military aircraft at an air base or storage facilities which Russian ambassador to Cyprus Stanislav Osadchiy had said Moscow had requested from Cyprus.

Cyprus had initially said that it would extend to Russia facilities offered to other countries, such as France which has been given landing rights for its military aircraft at Paphos air base and Germany, which enjoys port facilities in Cypriot ports.

Cypriot foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides had also said that a Russian request for storage facilities at Limassol port, next to a British air base, was positively viewed but it had to wait until plans for the extension of the port were implemented.

But the Cypriot government has recently been trying to play down the scope of its defense cooperation with Russia in the face of displeasure by Britain, which maintains on the island one of the biggest NATO military facilities.

The defense cooperation agreement was one of a total of 10 agreements signed on Wednesday after Anastasiades met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

They include cooperation in the sectors of the economy, energy, defense and security and mutual promotion of investments. Endit