MOSCOW. Sept 17 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia and Namibia should scale up military-technical cooperation, the chairmen of parliamentary defense committees of the two countries announced on Wednesday.
"Russia and Namibia should thoroughly strengthen bilateral cooperation, including in the military and military-technical sphere. This is the conclusion made by chairmen of parliamentary defense committees of the two countries at a meeting that took place in the State Duma (lower house of Russian parliament - Interfax-AVN) today," Duma defense committee chairman Andrei Nikolayev told Interfax-Military News Agency.
Namibian parliamentary defense committee chairman Ben Amatila said during the meeting, "The president of my country, Nujoma, is an active supporter of friendship with Russia. It is among the priority spheres of my country's policy. We are assured that Namibia should strengthen relations with Russia, including the military sphere."
"Not a single country in the world can maintain its security on its own," the Namibian lawmaker stressed.
"On behalf of the State Duma, I announce that Russia is ready to expand cooperation with Namibia in various spheres, including the military and military-technical ones," Nikolayev said.
"The South African sector is a huge resource for strengthening Russia's positions," he stressed.
"Speaking about the military-technical cooperation sphere, we can discuss Namibia's specific requests for supplies, repairs and upgrade of armament and military hardware and for personnel training," the Russian lawmaker noted.
Nikolayev and Amatila briefed each other on the sphere of responsibility of their committees in the lawmaking sphere and on the principles of their activity. Nikolayev handed over to the colleague the draft memorandum on cooperation between the two committees. "Our parliaments may act as a link between Russia and Namibia," he said.
Amatila said he supported the idea of a closer cooperation between Russian and Namibian lawmakers and promised to give an official response to the Russian proposals in the near future.
"I will insist on the creation of a high-ranking Namibian delegation including members of the government, parliament and presidential administration for a visit to Russia and for detailed discussion of our cooperation issues, including in the military and military-technical spheres," Amatila said, rounding up the meeting.
"Our cooperation is not aimed against other countries. We do not violate the balance of power in the region, but rather maintain it," Nikolayev stressed.
The meeting was attended by officials of the Russian Defense Ministry, committee for military-technical cooperation with other countries, and Rosoboronexport state-owned arms trader.