Russia says it has no plans to impose an arms embargo on
Syria and intends to fulfil a contract for delivering air defense systems to
the country.
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| A Russian Buk-M2 air defense system |
A senior Russian arms export official said on Wednesday that
since the contract to deliver Syria the air defense systems were signed before
the outbreak of unrest in the country, Moscow is obliged to fulfil its
commitments.
''Russia has obligations before Syria relating to old
contracts, contracts that were signed in 2008 and were later followed by new
ones on air defense systems. They are being fulfilled and they will be
fulfilled," AFP news agency quoted the Russian Federal Service for
Military Technical Cooperation's deputy chief Vyacheslav Dzirkaln as saying on
the side-lines of the Farnborough Air show near London.
He stressed that the air defense systems were meant to
protect Syria's border in accordance with international rules.
"We are delivering weapons and military technology of
an exclusively defensive nature," Dzirkaln said.
Dzirkaln also said that Russia will not sign new contacts
with Syria as long as the fighting continues in the country but stressed that
the move does not mean a shift in policy or a decision by Moscow to comply with
a Western arms embargo of Damascus government.
"One cannot possibly speak of us imposing an arms or
military technology embargo on Syria," Dzirkaln was quoted as saying.
Dzirkaln also vowed to complete the shipment of three
repaired helicopters as well as elements of an air defense system to Syria,
which failed to arrive at destination last months after a Russian vessel
carrying the items was forced to return to its Arctic base over USZ and British
pressure.
He said that Moscow was looking for ways of delivering the
three helicopters "without any losses to us and without any provocations
by the interested parties."
(press tv)
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