VLADIMIR PUTIN ON MILITARY AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION WITH IRAN








MOSCOW, 12 March. /RIA Novosti correspondent/. A RIA Novosti correspondent reports that whilst appearing at a press-conference at the end of negotiations with Iranian president Mohammad Khatami, President of Russia Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would continue its military and technical cooperation with Iran without breaching its international obligations.


	Mr. Putin stressed that Iran did not aspire to weapons outside the realm of Russian's international obligations, while Moscow was not intending to violate any of those obligations which it had taken upon itself. According to him, the Iranian orders that had been placed with Russian manufacturers had a defensive character.


	Moscow believes that Iran has the right to guarantee its own security, while Russia, the president announced, was interested in military and technical cooperation for economic reasons.


	According to Putin, the political considerations included the fact that "Iran should be an independent state, able to guarantee its own security." The president pointed out that this circumstance dictated the basis of Iranian-Russian military and technical cooperation.


	Vladimir Putin reminded those present that Russia was one of the world's leading arms exporters. He stressed that although Russia did not occupy the first place in terms of total sales, the country came first in terms of quality.