[R-G] Fw: Russia, Iran sign military accord

Fri Oct 5 12:56:32 MDT 2001

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ulhas Joglekar" <uvj at vsnl.com>
To: "Marxism List" <marxism at lists.panix.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2001 7:00 PM
Subject: Russia, Iran sign military accord

The Times of India

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2001

Russia, Iran sign military accord

MOSCOW: Russia and Iran signed a military co-operation agreement on Tuesday,
opening the way to sales of Russian arms to Iran worth up to $300 million a
year, defence minister Sergei Ivanov said, news agencies reported.

"This agreement is no secret, it conforms to all the norms and standards of
international law, and is practically identical to other documents which
Russia has signed with many countries," Ivanov said after talks with his
Iranian counterpart Ali Shamkhani.

Washington, which regards Iran as a rogue state, has criticised Moscow for
selling arms and military technology to Tehran, which the United States and
Israel fear could be used to develop nuclear weapons.

However, Ivanov stressed that the new agreement merely gave Russia "the
opportunity to conduct negotiations on the supply of defensive weapons to
Iran."

"Russia does not want the balance of forces in the region to be disrupted,"
Ivanov said, adding: "The Russian side wants to develop legal co-operation
with its partners, including in the military sphere."

Russia suspended arms sales to Iran in 1995 under a secret agreement
brokered by then Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin and US Vice
President Al Gore.

A decision by Moscow to restart arms sales to Tehran provoked a US outcry
last November.

Speaking in Moscow after the signing, Shamkhani thanked Russia "for
liquidating the Gore-Chernomyrdin memorandum."

"I am very glad that today we have managed to sign an agreement on
military-technical co-operation. This document is not aimed against any
country but is aimed at ensuring peace and stability in our region," he
added. Relations between Russia and Iran are "historical and long-term,"
Shamkhani said.

The decision to sign the military cooperation agreement was taken last March
during a visit to Russia by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, Ivanov said.

It paves the way for Iran to become within five years the third largest
purchaser of Russian arms after China and India, defence analyst Ruslan
Pukhov told the Interfax news agency.

Arms supplies to China and India account for more than 80 per cent of
Russian arms exports worth $4 billion each year.

Russia is currently the world's fourth biggest arms exporter, after the
United States ($26 billion), Britain ($10 billion) and France ($6.6
billion).

Pukhov said Iran was currently seeking to buy anti-aircraft systems, in
particular portable Igla missiles and Tor-M1 systems.

More controversially, it may also be looking to purchase long-range S-300
PMU1/2 systems, as well as Moskit and Yakhont anti-ship missiles, he told
Interfax.

However, the United States would be likely to strongly oppose the sales on
the grounds that such weapons threaten oil exports from the Gulf and serve
as another tool to manipulate world oil prices.
( AFP )

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