The Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia have called for stronger defense relations, demanding the quick implementation of the technical and security agreements already clinched between Tehran and Moscow.
Share It :
During a telephone conversation between Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu on Thursday, the two officials explored avenues for the further enhancement of Russo-Iran defense ties, and exchanged viewpoints on the latest regional and international developments.
The high-ranking Iranian and Russian military figures also emphasized the need for regional cooperation in order to stave off war, violence, terrorism and extremism.
On Wednesday, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow will provide Russian-built S-00 surface-to-air missile (SAM) defense systems to Tehran upon "the adaptation" of the 2007 agreement to the current situation.
Ryabkov said, "It is because of the adaptation of that agreement to the new reality that some negotiating process is taking place.”
He noted that the delivery would be made following the settlement of a lawsuit lodged by Iran with an arbitration court over Moscow’s failure to deliver the systems as planned.
Russia was required to provide Iran with at least five S-300 air defense systems under a contract signed in 2007. However, it reneged on an agreement to deliver the systems to Iran on the grounds that the deal was subject to a fourth round of the UN Security Council resolutions against Iran over its nuclear activities.
However, on April 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin penned a presidential decree, facilitating the conditions for the delivery of the missile systems to Iran. The measure came in the wake of the April 2 mutual understanding between representatives from Iran and five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, Russia, China, France, and Britain plus Germany - in the Swiss city of Lausanne.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian recently termed as "successful" the negotiations between Iranian and Russian officials over the delivery of the S-300 air defense systems to Iran.
/SR
