ID :
363582
Wed, 04/15/2015 - 11:12
Auther :

Putin explains to Netanyahu logic of Russia's decision to lift freeze from contract to sell S-300 systems to Iran

MOSCOW, April 14 /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday had a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he explained the logic of Russia’s decision to lift the embargo on delivery of S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran. The Israeli prime minister phoned the Russian leader to express concern with the embargo’s lifting, the Kremlin press service reported. Putin gave a detailed explanation of the logic behind the actions of the Russian leadership in this context. "He underlined the fact that according to tactical and technical characteristics the S-300 systems were exclusively a defensive weapon that would pose no threat to Israel or other Middle East states," the Kremlin press service stressed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his discontent to President Putin over the decision to sell S-300 missile systems to Iran, the office of the prime minister of the Jewish state said in a communiqué released later on Tuesday. "Prime Minister Netanyahu told President Putin that the step would increase Iran’s aggressive behavior in the region and would undermine security in the Middle East," the document said. Putin signed a decree allowing S-300 deliveries to Iran on April 13. The document came into force on the day it was signed. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later explained that progress on Iran’s nuclear programme had made it possible to lift the embargo on delivering S-300 systems to Iran. Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said he did not know when exactly the delivery was going to start stressing there were not more obstacles or restrictions to those deliveries. The S-300 systems are expected to dominate talks between Russian officials and Iran’s Brigade General Hossein Deghan who arrives in Moscow on Wednesday, April 15, Tehran sources said. Read more

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