The sides expect practical results in course of the negotiations which are taking place with the participation of ministers and businessmen.
Russia's participation in this project was lobbied by President Vladimir Putin. In July, on his way from Cuba to Argentina, President Putin changed his itinerary and decided to conduct a short visit to Nicaragua. At the meeting with President Daniel Ortega, particularly discussed was Russia's role in this project.
According to diplomatic sources, this includes military as well as political support. In particular, Russia will have to ensure the safety of construction and its protection against possible provocations. To do this, Nicaragua has allowed the patrolling of Russian warships and planes off the country’s coasts in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The bilateral agreement reached gives an opportunity to start this in the first half of 2015.
It is interesting to note that Vladimir Putin arrived in Managua in a few days after presentation of the final version of the route of the channel that is being planned to be built. This was done by the key investor – the Hong Kong-based company HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment. It is fully backed by China, which has no diplomatic relations with Nicaragua. Cost of the project is $ 40 billion.
Russia has made a major geopolitical move by entering into the project together with China, an alternative to the Panama Canal, controlled by United States, considers Vladimir Yevseyev, Director of the Center for Research on Public Policy:
“This is a very serious move. It is clear that Russia, on its own, is not capable of financing the project. Financial security will be primarily provided from China. If China had not taken responsibility to finance a large part of the project, I think, that Russia would not have entered into partnership in such an expensive project. In any case, we complement each other as strategic partners. We have an objective interest in deterring the United States. Another issue is that China does not want to create additional problems - it is economically dependent on the United States and this binds it politically. Russia is more independent, it has a serious backing from China, and is promoting its policies based on the building of a multi-polar world, the creation of which China is desperately interested in”.
Thanks to the Nicaraguan Canal, Russia will get a very good opportunity to strengthen its strategic position in the region. It will be capable of shifting its fleet fast enough from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, considers Vladimir Yevseyev:
“There will be more mobility, especially if Russia plans to position its Naval Base in Cuba. For this purpose, passage through the channel will be crucial, given its close proximity to the United States. For the United States it will create additional problems in terms of strengthening their own security. So Russia can effectively respond to the strengthening of NATO's military presence near its borders in Europe. The Channel will allow Russia to significantly increase trade with Latin America. This will be a new route, which Russia will be able to actively utilize”.
Traditionally, United States has controlled points through which major sea routes pass. These include the Strait of Malacca, Singapore, Gibraltar, the Suez and Panama canals. Therefore, emergence of the Nicaraguan canal is a direct challenge to the United States. It is no coincidence that they are actively opposing this project.
The creation of this alternative route from the Pacific to the Atlantic will change the political and economic situation in the world in favor of the one who will control it. Hong Kong-based company HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment has already received a concession for 100 years of operation of the channel.
Read more: http://indian.ruvr.ru/2014_09_09/RUSSIA-CHINA-CHANNEL-AMERICAN-CONTINENT/