During his recent Latin American tour Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu signed a number of important agreements strengthening military collaboration between Russia and Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.
In Caracas, the Russian and Venezuelan defense ministers discussed further development of military and military-technical cooperation and agreed on holding joint military drills, while in Managua, Shoigu signed an agreement allowing Russia's warships to enter Nicaragua's ports and ratified bilateral deals aimed against drug trafficking and organized crime. In Cuba, Russia's delegation and its counterparts focused on maritime cooperation issues as well as training of Cuban military servicemen in Russia. While discussing global and regional security issues, the authorities of the countries pledged their commitment to a just and polycentric world order and recognized Russia's efforts of establishing peace and stability in the world.
It is worth mentioning that Russia has shared economic and political ties with Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua since the Soviet period. After a temporary cooling in relations triggered by the collapse of the USSR and a string of geopolitical changes in the world, Russia's cooperation with its longstanding Latin American allies has evidently caught its second wind.