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Venezuelan ambassador to Moscow denies rumors about Russian military base

No officials mentioned plans to set up a Russian military base in Venezuela, Carlos Rafael Faria Tortosa said

Venezuelan Ambassador to Russia Carlos Rafael Faria Tortosa Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

Venezuelan Ambassador to Russia Carlos Rafael Faria Tortosa

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. Venezuelan Ambassador to Russia Carlos Rafael Faria Tortosa has denied rumors that Russia may set up a military base in the country.

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"We hear the media talking about it. I don’t know where they get such information," the ambassador said at a briefing on Tuesday. "No one ever - at least no officials from either our cabinet or the Russian government - mentioned plans to set up a [Russian] military base in Venezuela," he pointed out.

"You should ask the Americans how many military bases they have around the world. There are seven of them near our country’s borders, in Colombia," Faria Tortosa added.

He also said that Caracas and Moscow had "good relations in many areas, including defense cooperation." "Cooperation will continue," the Venezuelan ambassador emphasized.

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