Global General

Russia to honor Iran missile contract: FM

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-24 22:41

MOSCOW: Russia will honor a contract to deliver its advanced S-300 air defense systems to Iran after resolving a series of problems, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

"There are things that need to be settled before this contract can be fulfilled," Lavov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying at a news conference, without expounding what sort of problems there are.

Lavrov reiterated that Russia would abide by domestic laws and international rules, and would not take any steps that could lead to the destabilization of any region.

He said all Russian arms sales abroad were based on the principle and called on other countries to follow the lead.

Iran struck a deal with Russia on buying S-300 systems in 2007, but Russia has delayed the supply of the anti-aircraft missiles.

The S-300 defense system is an advanced mobile system that can travel at more than 2 km per second and shoot down aircraft and cruise missiles from up to 150 km away.

The United States and Israel were trying to persuade Russia not to sell the missile system to Iran because it could foil attempts to hit the country's nuclear facilities with an air strike.