RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTER WILL DISCUSS MILITARY-TECHNICAL COOPERATION WITH HIS IRANIAN COUNTERPART








MOSCOW, March 12, 2001. / RIA Novosti correspondent /. In the morning on March 14, Russian defence minister Igor Sergeyev will meet Vice-Admiral Ali Shamkhani, the Iranian defence minister, who arrived in Moscow Monday as a member of the Iranian governmental delegation. RIA Novosti was informed of this by a spokesman of the Russian defence ministry.


	According to him, "this is going to be an exclusively private meeting." As is expected, during the meeting the ministers will focus on the implementation of the accords concerning the resumption and development of military-technical cooperation. These accords were reached during Igor Sergeyev's official visit to Iran held last December.


	The defence ministry's spokesman stressed in particular that "military-technical cooperation between Russia and Iran is not directed against any third countries and will not pose a threat to security and stability in the region."