MEXICO CITY (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th December, 2018) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said foreign military aircraft will continue arriving in the South American country in the coming months amid the visit of Russian planes to Venezuela.
On Monday, two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers, an An-124 military transport aircraft and an Il-62 plane landed in Venezuela. The Russian planes conducted interoperability drills with the Venezuelan Air Force this week.
"The planes arrive and they will arrive in the coming months," Maduro told a press conference which was broadcast on his Twitter page.
The arrival of Russia's planes was in line with bilateral cooperation programs, Maduro added.
The Venezuelan president also commented on the criticism about the visit of the Russian aircraft in Venezuela on the part of Colombian President Ivan Duque, who suggested that the move was unfriendly. Maduro argued that "having mercenary camps inside a country, like those in Colombia, is unfriendly."
The arrival of the Russian military aircraft to Venezuela has also been criticized by US State Secretary Mike Pompeo who referred to Moscow and Caracas as "two corrupt governments squandering public funds, and squelching liberty and freedom while their people suffer."
The Russian Foreign Ministry's commented on Pompeo's remarks by calling them unacceptable and absolutely unprofessional.
