KHARTOUM (Sputnik) – Sudan is ready to host a Russian military base on the Red Sea coast because it could help the country fight the smuggling and slave trade, Al-Hadi Hamid, the head of the Defense and Security Committee of the Sudanese Parliament told Sputnik on Tuesday.
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"I think it will be reasonable and correct if the Russian leadership agrees to establish a military base on the Red Sea, which will undoubtedly be in the framework of economic and military cooperation between the countries," Hamid said.
"I would like to emphasize that Sudan is ready to host Russian military bases, this would be an excellent cooperation" the lawmaker added.
He also recalled the extent of Sudan's maritime borders. "We record a large number of violations: vessels illegally enter our territorial waters; fishing boats also violate borders," Hamid said.
Speaking about the possibility of establishing a military base in Sudan with President Putin, Omar Bashir also expressed readiness to purchase Russian Su-30 and Su-35 fighter jets as well as S-300 air defense systems. He added that Sudan had no plans "to wage aggression abroad, we want to protect our country."
Earlier, Russia and Sudan have signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of atomic energy.
