Authored by U.S. Army War College professor Stephen Blank, the report said Libya has played a significant role in Russia's strategy in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The report said Libya was prepared to supply the Russian Navy with docking rights in the North African state.

"Beyond that, Libya has also reportedly offered Russia a naval base in Benghazi while Syria has offered Moscow a naval base at Tartous," the report said.

"These events suggest that in return for arms sales host states are being pressured to give Moscow access to foreign bases."

The report said Russia appears to be supplying Tripoli with weapons from Belarus. Blank said the Gadhafi regime has sought additional weapons in its war with the Western-backed rebel movement.

"Moreover, Russia might still be supplying weapons covertly to Libya through Belarus, a habitual conduit of weapons to places where Russia wishes to retain deniability, since Libya has recently asked Belarus for more weapons," the report said.

"Syria's importance as a buyer of Russian arms, often paid for by Saudi or Iranian subsidies to Syria, is of a comparable economic and strategic magnitude."

---