U.S. Sanctions Threat Over Russia-Iran Trade "Unacceptable"
MOSCOW (AFP) - U.S. threats to impose economic sanctions against Russia should it resume military cooperation with Iran in violation of a secret 1995 agreement are "unacceptable," the Russian army's second-in-command warned Thursday.
"Russia is firmly pushing the course of strengthening equitable, mutually advantageous and good-neighborly cooperation [with Iran]. Such talk is unacceptable to us," the army's deputy chief of staff, General Valery Manilov, told the Interfax agency.
He added that the resumption of military ties with Iran "fully reflects Russia's international commitments" and would not contribute to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as Washington fears.
Moscow last month announced it was scrapping a five-year-old agreement with Washington banning conventional arms sales to Iran, a decision that prompted a White House warning that trade ties could suffer as a result.
Russia had agreed to finish all scheduled exports of tanks, armored personnel carriers and even a Kilo-class attack submarine by December 31, 1999, and not to enter into new contracts.
U.S. defense experts came this week to Moscow to quiz their Russian counterparts about the precise form of military cooperation to be restored with Tehran.
U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher on Wednesday described the talks as "full, frank and comprehensive."
Following the talks' conclusion Thursday, a Russian foreign ministry source told Interfax that the meeting was held "in a calm and businesslike atmosphere" but revealed no further details.
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will again address the subject mid-month during an OSCE ministerial meeting in Vienna.
