Moscow, May 19 (RHC) –- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has denied claims that Russia is seeking to establish military bases in Latin America but acknowledged that Russia is considering naval stations.

Speaking to Russia TV's Saturday News, Lavrov said that Russia was in need of stations in the region that could provide the necessary "fuel, rest, and some minor repairs" to its ships.

Lavrov, who had just returned from a brief tour of Latin America and the Caribbean between April 29th to May 1st, said that the Russian navy had the right to sail the seas.

Cuba, Nicaragua, Chile, and Peru all received the Russian foreign minister, who said that Russia was seeking to build a canal through Nicaragua connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and thus rival the Panama Canal.

Cuba and Nicaragua especially have shared a long history of good relations with Russia and are key allies in the region.