MOSCOW. Dec 14 (Interfax) - The Russian Foreign Ministry has denied the allegation on the Organization of American States (OAS)'s website that two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers sent to Venezuela might have been carrying nuclear weapons.
"The Russian Federation is fully and strictly complying with its obligations under Additional Protocol II to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (also known as the Treaty of Tlatelolco), which gives binding guarantees that rule out Russia's use of, or threat to use, nuclear weapons against countries within the zone. The flight of Russian strategic bombers to Venezuela absolutely does not violate clauses of this Treaty," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Friday.
The ministry said it was unfortunate that "the OAS administration used its status to spread incorrect, fictitious information about Russia's policy in Latin America in the notorious #highlylikely style."
"We refuse to accept the fact that such an esteemed regional organization as the OAS makes political statements aimed at creating an atmosphere of distrust in relations between Russia and countries of Latin America and the Caribbean," it said.
Such actions "do harm, intended or not, to cooperation between Russia and the Organization, a permanent observer in which our country has been for decades, and with which constructive interaction has been developing in various spheres," the ministry said.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday that Tu-160 strategic bombers were preparing to return to their bases.