Ireland. File photoLONDON, Jan 30 Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense Simon Coveney greeted on Twitter Moscow's decision to move the area of the upcoming naval exercises outside the republic's exclusive economic zone. Previously, Russian Ambassador to Ireland Yuri Filatov said that in response to requests from Dublin, Moscow decided to move the area of the upcoming naval exercises in the Atlantic outside the exclusive economic zone of Ireland, so as not to interfere with fishermen from this country.
"This week, I wrote to my colleague the Russian Defense Minister and asked him to reconsider the decision to conduct naval exercises off the coast of Ireland. I received a letter tonight confirming that Russian exercises would be moved outside of Ireland's exclusive economic zone. I applaud this response", Coveney wrote.
Earlier, he said he had notified the Russian ambassador to the republic that military exercises off the Irish coast were not welcome. According to him, Dublin received a notification from Russia about holding military exercises 240 kilometers from the coast of Ireland. Filatov previously told RIA Novosti that Moscow had informed the republic’s Foreign Ministry that the upcoming naval exercises of the Navy in the Atlantic did not pose any threat to either this country, not for anyone else. He stressed that such exercises in this region are held annually and not only by Russia, and have never caused any problems for anyone. The Navy conducts a series of exercises in January-February under the general supervision of Commander-in-Chief Nikolai Evmenov. The main focus of the maneuvers is to work out actions «to protect Russian national interests in the World Ocean», as well as «to counter military threats from sea and ocean areas.»
The exercises will cover the seas adjacent to Russian territory, as well as operational important areas of the oceans. Separate maneuvers will take place in the Mediterranean, North, Okhotsk Seas, in the northeastern part of the Atlantic and in the Pacific Ocean. meeting with the Russian ambassador