BAKDEP / MOUZZIN – Both the Heads of State of Cabelia and Kuehong have signed a landmark arms sales agreement between the both nations this evening, the Cabelian Ministry of the Martial Forces confirmed today.
Kuehong is to purchase a set of navy ships manufactured and designed by Cabelia, in addition to up-to-date navigational systems worth up to $2.7 billion. In exchange, Cabelia will purchase Kuehong’s new defence systems, which is expected to enhance Cabelia’s defence capabilities in the region. The new defence systems, which includes sensors, missiles and artillery, is estimated to be worth around $1.5 billion.
Some of the Tarephian Cooperation Council (TCC) nations have raised concerns with the new arms sales, saying that this may undermine “regional security and stability”. Such arms sales between Cabelia and Kuehong has been a source of contention between Cabelia and TCC.
The Freedemian Ambassador to the TCC, Johann Ergatus, have warned against Cabelia “getting too close” to Kuehong. “Kuehong is a rather ambitious militaristic state. Cabelia must take heed when dealing with Kuehong. The influence of Kuehong in the region might not be beneficial to the region,” said Ergatus in a statement.
Cabelia and Kuehong have enjoyed rather close ties ever since the establishment of the current military regime in 1967. Cabelia is known to have assisted in the building up of the Kuehongese navy, and there has been speculation of Cabelia’s assisstance in Kuehong’s recent submarine military launches. Cabelia has denied any association with Kuehong’s missile programme.
In exchange, Kuehong has always provided artillery and infantry support to the Tarephian country, with a set of 25 tanks delievered to Cabelia in July. Both nations are known to have organised joint military exercises, with Kuehongese troops regularly having their overseas exercises in Cabelia. Both have over the years signed landmark arms deals, which has been a source of contention between TCC and Cabelia. However, Cabelia insisted that such deals are important not to the country itself, but to the region’s defence capabilities as a whole.
