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The Black Sea Fleet is performing a number of functions on protecting the interests of the Russian Federation and our allies in that region. And any changes to the military potential of other countries there will require the adjustment of duties. St. Petersburg, February 10 (Interfax) - Washington's plans to deploy missile defense elements in Romania will require certain adjustments to the Russian Black Sea Fleet's role, said Adm. Vyacheslav Popov, the chairman of the Federation Council commission on national maritime policy and a former commander of Russia's Northern Fleet.

"The Black Sea Fleet is performing a number of functions on protecting the interests of the Russian Federation and our allies in that region. And any changes to the military potential of other countries there will require the adjustment of our duties as well," Popov told Interfax.

"This is a natural process, and no political conclusions should be made out of this," he said.

"If this [the deployment of missile defense elements] happens, the General Staff's, the Navy main command's, and the fleet commander's tasks will be modified accordingly. They should respond to the changing situation," Popov said.

"Taking into account the length of our marine borders and the size of our exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, the navy is facing a colossal challenge of defending Russia's national interests at sea," he said.

Popov said he was concerned about the weakening of Russia's naval potential over the past decades. "It is encouraging that the situation has begun to improve gradually and that new ships have been built and attached to the fleet. But this problem has still not been resolved radically," he said.