MOSCOW, January 20. /TASS/. The Russian-Syrian agreement on the naval logistic facility in Tartus will make it possible for Russia to control the entire Mediterranean region, the Middle East, North Africa and NATO’s southern border more confidently, a Russian expert said on Friday.
"It will make it possible for Russia to keep control of the entire Mediterranean region, i.e. the Middle East, North Africa and NATO’s southern borders. In terms of military strategy, it gives big possibilities for control over the most important geopolitical processes in the region," Igor Korotchenko, the editor-in-chief of the National Defense journal, said.
Russia and Syria signed an agreement on expanding the area of the Russian naval logistic facility in Tartus. The Russian-Syrian agreement will stay in effect for 49 years and will be automatically prolonged for the subsequent 25-year periods, unless either party to the agreement notifies the other party in writing through diplomatic channels no less than one year before the expiry of a regular period about its intention to terminate it. The document was published on the official web portal of legal information.
According to Korotchenko, the naval logistic facility in Tartus offers a possibility to ensure the presence of a Russian naval group in the Mediterranean and establish a naval base there.
"The mere fact of the presence of Russian warships and submarines, especially those armed with Kalibr cruise missiles, will make it possible to keep control of the entire region and repel any threats. Naturally, it will be a major factor to deter unfriendly actions against Russia by any regional and international players," he said.
Under the document, Russia may simultaneously station at the Tartus facility as many as 11 warships, including nuclear-powered combat ships, provided that nuclear and environmental safety is complied with.