"This year, Russia intends to start professional retraining of Central African pilots and ground personnel to operate aircraft," the ambassador said.
Speaking on the topic in general, Bikantov said that, "traditionally, the issues pertaining to military and technical cooperation are sensitive" and are handled by the Russian Defense Ministry. He also recalled that "such a new branch of troops as army aviation within the CAR Armed Forces is successfully operating in the CAR."
Talks on Russian Military Base in Central African Republic
Moscow and Bangui continue talks on the establishment of a Russian military base in the Central African Republic (CAR) and the size of the Russian contingent, Russian Ambassador to Bangui Alexander Bikantov has told Sputnik.
"The question of the establishment of a military base in the CAR is on the bilateral agenda," Bikantov said, adding that the discussions are underway between the defense ministries of the two countries.
"The negotiations are currently in an active phase. The dates of the contingent's arrival and its size have yet to be determined," the ambassador added.
Russian Military Instructors in CAR
There is no talk yet about increasing the number of Russian military instructors in the Central African Republic (CAR), Russian Ambassador to Bangui Alexander Bikantov told Sputnik.
The Russian presence made it possible to protect the citizens of the CAR and stabilize the situation in the country in a historically short time, the ambassador said, adding that units of the CAR armed forces, trained under Russian leadership, demonstrate a high level of combat effectiveness.
"However, there is no talk yet about increasing the number of Russian [military] instructors," Bikantov said.