MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. Russia is concerned by clearly anti-Russian US plans to boost its military presence in the Eastern Mediterranean region, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thursday.

"We are concerned by Washington’s plans to boost its military forces in Eastern Mediterranean, because [those plans] clearly have anti-Russian nature, reflect the aggressive policy of the United States and, generally speaking, run counter to promoting peace and security in this region," she said.

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo visited Greece on September 27-28 to sign an agreement on further cooperation in science and technology, aimed at boosting investment and encouraging the development of strategic dialogue between the two states. On Tuesday, the US top diplomat visited the US military base at Souda Bay in Crete, Greece.

On October 5, 2019, Greece and the United States agreed to amend the previous agreement on defense cooperation, signed in 1990. According to the document, the US military will reinforce the base at Souda Bay, use the Larissa air base, the army aviation base in Stefanovikio (Magnesia Prefecture) and the port of Alexandroupoli in northeastern Greece.