CO-OPERATION TECHNICO-MILITAIRE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND IRAN








MOSCOW, March 12.  (Corr. Ria " Novosti ").  Igor Sergueiev, Minister
Russian for Defense, will have a meeting, the morning of March 14,
with the vice-admiral Ali Shamkhani, head of the Iranian department of
defense, which east arrives today has Moscow with an Iranian
governmental delegation.  RIA " Novosti " has of it ete informee by
one representant of the Russian ministry of Defense.

According to Igor Sergueiev, " it will be a meeting privee ".  During
their maintenance, the ministers plan to give a great attention has
the implementation of the agreements on the resumption and the
development of the co-operation technico-soldier occurred during the
official visit effectuee by Igor Sergueiev in Iran in December 2000.


" the co-operation technico-soldier between Russia and Iran is not
dirigee against third countries and represente not a threat for the
security and stability in the area ", A underlines representant it of
the ministry for Defense.

Leonid Ivachov, head of the principal Department of international
military co-operation of the ministry for the Defense of the
Federation of Russia, A declares:  " In this moment, military
co-operation and technico-soldier between Russia and Iran developpe
rather well ".  " Moscow and Teheran are mutually interesses have the
training of specialists, have the maintenance of the materiel of war
and the weapons of Russian manufacture which equip the Iranian forces
armees, as with the supplies has Iran of new modeles of armaments
authorize by international engagements of Russia ", A indicates the
military head.

The re-establishment of the co-operation technico-soldier
Russo-Iranian woman has ete returned possible thanks to the withdrawal
of Russia of the Gore-Tchernomyrdine memorandum, pointed out general
Ivachov.  Russia does not have sign since 1905 of comparable similar
document has the ultimatum.  When this memorandum was in force, Russia
could not provide has Iran not only armaments, but also of the
products of double destination, whereas Americains reservaient the
right to strike Russia of sanctions and to qualify these products of
soldiers or civil, said general Ivachov.

Commenting on the inquietude of the United States in front of the
resumption of the co-operation technico-soldier Russo-Iranian woman,
Ivachov A stresses that the materiel aeronautic americaine
manufacture, whose are equipees the air forces of Iran, " is in the
sky ".  According to him, subsets and spare parts for the materiel
aeronautic americain arrive regularly to Iran by the intermediaire of
third countries and the firm-screens.  In same time, " all the
materiel aeronautic of Russian manufacture which equips the Iranian
air forces finds on the ground, because Russia A rigorously respects
the clauses of the Gore-Tchernomyrdine memorandum ", A underlines the
military head.

In addition to the development of the co-operation technico-soldier,
Igor Sergueiev and Ali Shamkhani will examine the problems of the
fight against terrorism and the separatism, having in sight above all
the threat which emanates from Afghanistan for the security of Russia,
Iran and other countries of the area.  The ministers will exchange
their views on the relative questions has the widening of NATO has Is,
with the Russian proposals of creer nonstrategic anti-missile defense,
as with the reinforcement of the mode of non-proliferation of the
weapons of massive destruction and ballistic technologies.