COLON, Panama —

A Russian warship on Saturday used the Panama Canal for the first time since World War II, after taking part in joint Russian-Venezuelan maneuvers symbolizing Moscow’s growing military presence in the region.

The anti-submarine ship Admiral Chabanenko entered the canal at the Caribbean port city of Colon late Friday, and docked at the former U.S. naval base of Rodman in Panama’s capital on Saturday afternoon, a Russian diplomatic source said.

The warship, which earlier this week took part in the joint Russian-Venezuelan naval maneuvers that posed a symbolic challenge to U.S. influence in the region, is expected to stay at Rodman for five days.

It was the first time a Russian warship had entered the canal since 1944, when the waterway was under U.S. control and Russia and the United States were allied in the anti-Nazi coalition.

“The only time a similar event took place was 60 years ago, in 1944, during the Second World War, when four Soviet submarines, after repairs, crossed the Panama Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific,” the Russian embassy said in a statement.

The 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-U.S. President Hugo Chavez has been seen as a challenge to U.S. power in Latin America, often described as America’s “backyard.”

Russia has denied the exercises were aimed at any “third countries.”

Moscow announced the maneuvers after U.S. President George W Bush sent navy vessels to Georgia during the Russian-Georgia conflict in August, angering the Kremlin. Washington said the warships were delivering humanitarian aid.

“The main purpose (of the visit to Panama) is for the soldiers to rest and to replenish supplies,” the embassy said.

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,” the embassy said.

Panama’s foreign minister Samuel Lewis Navarro said that “as we all know, the Panama Canal is open to all ships in the world,” noting the canal’s permanent Neutrality Treaty.

The 169-meter 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 U.S. military personnel until 1999 when it was given to Panama under a treaty negotiated in 1977 by then-U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

Wire reports

4 Comments

• 

  adaydream at 11:13 AM JST - 7th December

  Good, Panama needs the business. < :-)

• 

  rajakumar at 11:28 AM JST - 7th December

  Russia systems and russian rouble is doing well via Gazprom/many others.

  Panama will be happy with new business from russian ships and russian new found wealth.

• 

  Asara at 02:00 PM JST - 7th December

  Possibly multipolar world is better than G8-ty polared world.

• 

  rajakumar at 03:04 AM JST - 8th December

  Multipolar world with Russia/China new found wealth is making world richer than before.

  G8 now is very interlinked world with China/Russia's new wealth.

  Multipolar or unipolar world is just a definition.

  World is made by nations of the world ,their wealth and their definition of the world according to them.

Register or login to add a comment!