MOSCOW, 15 January 2005 — Russia said yesterday its relations with Syria were absolutely transparent and once again denied reports that it planned to sell a powerful new high-tech missile to Israel’s sworn enemy.
“There are no negotiations taking place over this particular issue. There are preparations for the visit of President (Bashar) Assad to Moscow at the end of this month,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters.
Israel charges that Russia is planning to sell its latest-generation Iskander missiles to Syria, which harbors several militant groups, supports the Lebanese-based militia Hezbollah and is technically at war with the Jewish state.
The issue was raised Thursday by Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom during talks with Russian officials. But Lavrov, echoing comments made earlier in Washington by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, said the charges were groundless.
“We don’t have any hidden topics in our relations with Syria,” he said. “We are ready for wide cooperation respecting our international obligations.” Ivanov said in Washington that Russia was not negotiating the sale.
The Iskander missile is developed by the KB Mashinostroyeniya institute, one of five Russian weapons factories that has a right to negotiate its own contracts with foreign customers, skirting the Russian government.
But a spokesman for the company told ITAR-Tass news agency that no foreign state has yet placed orders for its new weapon. That seemingly contradicts a report in the Kommersant business daily that Syria first approached the plant two years ago and placed an order for up to 18 missiles at a later date.
Syria is now interested in eight or nine missiles, Kommersant reported Wednesday. “At this time, no government has placed an order with us for this type of system,” institute spokesman Vladimir Yunker told ITAR-Tass yesterday.
