MOSCOW. Jan 12 (Interfax) - Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev has conveyed election victory greetings from President Vladimir Putin to Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, an Interior Ministry spokesman told Interfax on Thursday.
"Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev has met with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and has conveyed congratulations from Russian President Vladimir Putin," he said.
In his greetings, Putin reiterated Russia's staunch course towards strengthening and developing relations of friendship, solidarity and cooperation with Nicaragua in the interests of people of the two countries, he said.
"Modern Nicaragua is a major partner of Russia in Latin America and worldwide," Kolokoltsev said.
"We share a vision of a fair polycentric world order and principles of interstate relations. Our countries are actively interacting in international affairs in terms of mutual assistance and solidarity," Kolokoltsev said.
He noted productive cooperation between law enforcement agencies of the two countries in the crackdown on drugs and organized crime and personnel training by schools of the Russian Interior Ministry and the Federal Security Service and thanked the Nicaraguan president for backing the Russian Interior Ministry's request for observer status in the Commission of Police Chiefs of Central America, Mexico and Colombia.
"We see the involvement in the activity of this regional mechanism as an additional channel of practical cooperation with law enforcement agencies of both states, in particular, in the multilateral format," Kolokoltsev said.
During his visit to Nicaragua, the minister also had working meetings with Nicaraguan National Police Director-General Aminta Elena Granera Sacasa and Army Commander-in-Chief Julio Cesar Aviles Castillo.
The training of drug control officers from Central America by Russia led to impressive impoundments of cocaine and marijuana in the region, Kolokoltsev said.
"The opening of a training center of the Russian Interior Ministry in Nicaragua will give a fresh impetus to these efforts," Kolokoltsev said.
The Russian Interior Ministry wishes to exchange practices and information in the fight against drug trafficking and contraband; it is ready "to consider from the angle of current laws every initiative of our partners aimed at raising public security levels," Kolokoltsev told the Nicaraguan army commander.