ANI
11 Jul 2019, 15:07 GMT+10
Moscow [Russia], July 11 (ANI): Russia on Thursday said its military equipment will be part of military drills in Venezuela scheduled for July 24.
"Weapons and military equipment that are currently present in Venezuela and that the National Bolivarian Armed Forces use is mostly Russia-made. So, it just cannot be otherwise. I don't know if they have purchased any kinds of equipment in other countries, but the army is equipped with our weapons to a significant extent, so it will be used as well," Sputnik quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying.
Russia has been accused of fuelling tensions in the South American nation and providing military aid to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Ryabkov also noted that there are almost no Russian military experts in Venezuela right now.
"A rotation has taken place. As I see it, the presence of our personnel there is close to zero. However, this does not mean that it will not appear there when the need may arise to maintain the equipment", he said.
Representatives of both the Maduro government and the opposition have held several rounds of talks, mediated by Norway. However, no agreement has been reached so far.
Venezuela has been in the throes of a political crisis since January this year when National Assembly leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself as the interim President of the nation amid protests against Maduro.
The US immediately extended support to Guaido, calling for Maduro to either step down or hold fresh elections. Maduro has, however, stuck to his post while claiming to have the Venezuelan military's support.
Countries like Russia, Turkey, and China have backed Maduro's claim while slamming the US for its external interference in the oil-rich country. (ANI)Get a daily dose of Asia Pacific Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Asia Pacific Star.
More InformationDHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama is set to address a significant three-day conference of Buddhist leaders this week, coinciding with...
BEIJING, China: China's national soccer team may struggle to stir excitement, but its humanoid robots are drawing cheers — and not...
]LONDON, U.K.: A World Health Organization (WHO) expert group investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic released its final...
FRANKFURT, Germany: Germany has become the latest country to challenge Chinese AI firm DeepSeek over its data practices, as pressure...
Nearly three months after a devastating earthquake struck Myanmar, the country remains trapped in a deepening crisis, compounded by...
Moscow seeks to build a full-fledged partnership, according to its ambassador in Kabul Moscow has officially recognized the Taliban...
NEW YORK, New York -U.S. stock markets closed with broad gains on Thursday, led by strong performances in U.S. tech stocks, while European...
LONDON/STOCKHOLM: The Persson family is ramping up its investment in the H&M fashion empire, fueling renewed speculation about a potential...
PARIS, France: L'Oréal is making a fresh play in the booming premium haircare segment with a new acquisition. The French beauty conglomerate...
MENLO PARK, California: Robinhood is giving European investors a new way to tap into America's most prominent tech names — without...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks diverged on Wednesday for the second day in a row. The Standard and Poor's 500 hit a new all-time...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The U.S. dollar continues to lose ground, weighed down by growing concerns over Washington's fiscal outlook...