Friday 05 December
2008, San José, Costa
Rica
Russian Warship To Pass
Through Panama Canal
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Russian Warship To Pass
Through Panama Canal
(AFP) — A Russian
warship was set Friday
to sail through the
Panama Canal for the
first time since World
War II in a symbolic
challenge to US
influence in the region.
The large anti-submarine
ship Admiral Chabanenko
is scheduled to traverse
the waterway from the
Atlantic to the Pacific
Ocean sometime between
Friday night and
Saturday morning, the
Russian embassy in
Panama said.
"The only time such an
event took place was in
1944 during the Second
World War, when four
Russian submarines
passed through" the
canal, said the embassy
in a statement.
At that time, when the
waterway was under US
control, both Russia and
the United States were
allied in the anti-Nazi
coalition, the embassy
added.
The scheduled passage
through the canal comes
after Russian warships
on Tuesday wrapped up
two days of joint
exercises with
Venezuelan navy vessels.
The arrival of the
Russian ships at the
invitation of
Venezuela's fiercely
anti-US president Hugo
Chavez has been seen as
a challenge to US power
in Latin America, often
described as America's
"backyard.
Russia has denied the
exercises were aimed at
any "third countries".
Moscow announced the
exercises after US
President George W. Bush
sent navy vessels to
Georgia during the
Russian-Georgian
conflict in August,
angering the Kremlin.
Washington said the
warships were delivering
humanitarian aid.
After passing through
the canal the Russian
ship and its 451 crew
members will remain in
Panama until December 11
at a former US naval
base.
"The main purpose (of
the visit to Panama) is
for the soldiers to rest
and to replenish (ship)
supplies," said the
embassy.
During its stay the
Russian crew will also
take part in soccer and
volleyball competitions
with the Panamanian
navy.
"The Russian vessel's
friendly visit further
raises Panama's
international prestige
as a great naval power
and the Panama Canal as
a truly neutral
waterway," said the
embassy.
Panama's foreign
minister Samuel Lewis
Navarro said Thursday
that "as we all know,
the Panama Canal is open
to all ships of the
world," noting the
canal's permanent
Neutrality Treaty.
The 169-meter (554-foot)
Admiral Chabanenko,
which carries out
operations against
piracy and international
terrorism, belongs to
Russia's Northern Fleet.
It was part a flotilla
of Russian warships,
based in the Arctic port
of Murmansk, that
participated in joint
exercises with the
Venezuelan Navy that
concluded on Tuesday.
Located at the Pacific
entrance to the Panama
Canal, Chabanenko's
temporary home the
Rodman Naval Base hosted
US military personnel
until 1999 when it was
given to Panama as part
of the handover of the
Panama Canal Zone.
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