MOSCOW, February 13. /TASS/. The creation of a Russian naval base or a logistics center in Sudan will allow the Russian Navy to operate freely in the Indian Ocean, Alexander Ivanov, Director of the Commonwealth of Officers for International Security, told TASS.
His comments came after discussions between Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Yousef Sharif and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, where Khartoum and Moscow had reached an agreement regarding a Russian naval base and "agreed on everything."
"Such a base could also become the first installation of the Russian navy in the Red Sea, which would grant the Russian fleet unrestricted access to the ocean. The most direct route between the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean passes through the waters of the Red Sea. This allows maritime traffic to flow in both directions between Europe and Asia without bypassing Africa," Ivanov stated.
He mentioned that the base would have significant geopolitical value. "The base is located in a strategically beneficial position, through which a major portion of global maritime trade routes pass, including the transport of hydrocarbons from the Persian Gulf countries," he continued.
According to Ivanov, the countries are now actively discussing details of the agreement and timeline of the project.