A detachment of ships from the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy made a working visit to the international seaport of Djibouti in a bid to boost military cooperation between the two countries, the Russian Embassy in Djibouti said in a statement.
The visit was made as part of a long-range tour made by Russian warships, frigate Admiral Gorshkov and medium sea tanker Kama, around the Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea.
According to the embassy, the warships' visit to the Djibouti port was aimed to develop military cooperation between Djibouti City and Moscow, replenish supplies and give the Russian personnel a break.
During the tree-day stop, from 26 to 28 March, the commanders of the Russian detachment of ships, Captain 1st Rank Oleg Gladly and Captain 2nd Rank Pavel Konov, made protocol visits to the official civil, port and military authorities of the host country, including a meeting with the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.
"Meetings with Djiboutian representatives were held in a warm and friendly atmosphere," the embassy said. "During the conversations, the leitmotif was the wishes repeatedly expressed by the partners to strengthen cooperation in the military field and in the sphere of military-technical cooperation, taking into account the highly developed educational base and technological capabilities of modern Russia."
The two sides also discussed issues related to ensuring safe navigation off the coast of Africa and in the Red Sea region. According to the embassy, the partners fully support the friendly actions of the Russian Navy, which not only serve to develop Russian-Djiboutian relations but are also of great importance in strengthening the security around the Horn of Africa.
The embassy pointed out that the Russian warships' visit came on the eve of the celebration of the 45th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Russia and Djibouti, which has an advantageous geostrategic location in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region.