BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
09/05/2009
Belarus Denies Missile Cooperation with Iran
TEHRAN (FNA)-Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko dismissed reports about export of S-300 and Iskander tactical missile systems to Iran.
"As far as S-300 and Iskander (missiles) are concerned, these complexes cannot be exported without my approval. There is not a single contract or project related to these systems that I have been asked to approve. This is utter nonsense," Alexander Lukashenko said.
Ria Novosti alleged in an earlier report that Belarus is willing to sell short range missiles to Iran in an agreement with Iranian officials.
In recent months, Israel and the US have sought to pressure Russia (the original manufacturer of the S-300 missile system) to halt the delivery of the system, which according to Western experts could effectively rule out the possibility of any Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities until Tel Aviv acquires the advance US fighter jet, F-22.
Last Wednesday, a Russian official said Moscow is not planning to provide Tehran with S-300 air defense systems despite previous reports.
Konstantin Kosachev, the head of the Russian State Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee said that sending S-300 missiles to Iran was out of the question.
Source:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8802190987
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