Russia doesn't strive to create military bases abroad, the country's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
"Unlike a number of countries, we are not supporters of military expansion. Setting up bases abroad as a projection of strength, including in Latin America, is not a goal in itself for us," RIA Novosti cited him as saying.
According to Lavrov, actions of the West, and, in particular, NATO, aimed at boosting military infrastructure next to the Russian borders and the deployment of US anti-missile defense systems in Europe cause "very serious concerns" in Moscow.
"Such destructive steps undermine the principle of the indivisibility of security and lead to further growth of tensions in the Euro-Atlantic area, deepening of divisions on the European continent. In this context, we are adopting reasonable measures to increase defense capabilities, protect national interests," he stressed.
