Syrian
authorities have called the visit of a Russian naval task force to the
port of Tartus a “show of solidarity with the Syrian people,”
the official SANA news agency reported. A Russian task force, led by
the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, arrived in Tartus on Sunday
to replenish water and food supplies during a long-term training mission
in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
“We highly respect Russia’s honorable stance in support
of the Syrian people,” SANA cited Governor of Tartus Atef al-Naddaf
as saying.
Russia maintains a Soviet-era naval maintenance site near Tartus
as its only military foothold in the Mediterranean. Moscow is planning
to modernize the facility to accommodate large warships, including missile
cruisers and even aircraft carriers after 2012.
|
