Belgrade offers missile aid to Iraq, woos Iran

BELGRADE -- Yugoslavia has expressed its willingness to sell any military system requested by Iraq, including missile components, as officials said defense ties between the two countries are improving.

Yugoslav officials said both countries are also under threat from the United States. They accused Washington of masterminding a series of assassinations in Yugoslavia over the last few months in an attempt to depose President Slobodan Milosevic.

Belgrade is also courting Iran. Last week, an Iranian trade delegation arrived in Yugoslavia to explore an expansion of cooperation. "We are to embark on a long term plan to establish joint private companies in Teheran and Belgrade," said Fereydoun Entezari, deputy chief of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce.

Another member of the Iranian delegation, Ghasem Shafiei, said Yugoslavia is ready to establish a very close relations with Iran given the economic sanctions and its current needs. Shafiei cited Yugoslavia's technological know-how. Yugoslav Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic said Belgrade would not rule out any sale to Iraq, saying the two are expanding cooperation in all fields, including military.

"The republics of Iraq and Yugoslavia are developing all forms of cooperation that are to the benefit of both countries," Bulatovic said. "The traditionally good relations between our countries are increasing because both are under sanctions."

Answering a question by Middle East Newsline, Bulatovic did not deny reports that Yugoslavia was helping Iraq in upgrading its anti-aircraft weapons and supplying missile components. He would not elaborate.

Yugoslav officials said the military relationship is linked to Belgrade's need for hard currency and the upgrading of ties with Baghdad. Both countries have been brought closer by the experience of international sanctions.

"We believe that Iraq is an extremely influential country and we are proud of the achievements we made with it," Bulatovic said. "What we have in common is that the heads of these two countries were legitimately elected."

Western intelligence sources said Yugoslavia has been sending experts to help improve Iraq's anti-aircraft defenses against raids by Allied combat jets in northern and southern Iraq. They said they also suspect that Baghdad has turned to Belgrade for help in developing nonconventional weapons and missiles.