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Assad arrives in Moscow where secrecy surrounds arms deal

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Monday, January 24, 2005

MOSCOW – Russian officials and diplomatic sources said that neither Russia nor Syria was expected to announce any arms deal during the visit by Syrian President Bashar Assad to Russia.

Assad arrives on Monday for a four-day visit meant to revive defense, diplomatic and trade relations.

"There will be things discussed and even agreed upon, but there will not be any formal defense accords or arms sales announced," a Russian official said.

Russia is under pressure from both Israel and the United States not to conclude an arms deal with Syria, Middle East Newsline reported.

Russia and Syria were expected to sign seven bilateral accords during Assad's visit, officials said. They said the agreement would include a memorandum of understanding that could pave the way for a free trade zone between the two countries as well as cooperation in the war against Al Qaida and related groups.

Assad arrives in Moscow for his first visit to Russia since taking over for his late father in 2000. Assad and his host, Russian President Vladimir Putin, have agreed to discuss a revival of defense and military cooperation as part of Moscow's drive to restore its influence in the Middle East.

But officials and diplomats said Putin would shy away from committing himself to most of Assad's requests for Russian weapons. They said this would include Assad's order of the SA-18 man-portable short-range surface-to-air missile.

Any sale of the SA-18, officials said, would violate Russia's commitment to the United States to end the proliferation of the so-called MANPADS, or man-portable air defense systems. The commitment was relayed during the visit to Washington by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov in mid-January.

Officials rejected the argument that any SA-18 systems could be transferred to Hizbullah, based in Lebanon and strongly supported by Damascus. The officials said Moscow does not regard Hizbullah as a terrorist group.

Putin has sought the signing of a counter-insurgency agreement as part of expanded bilateral relations. Syria harbors such groups as Hamas, Hizbullah, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, all of which appear on the State Department list of terrorist organizations.

Another expected accord would commit Russia and Syria to preserve intellectual property. Such an agreement has often preceded the transfer of technology from one country to another.

At this point, officials said, Assad was not expected to be accompanied by his defense minister, Hassan Turkmani. They said Turkmani and his representatives have discussed arms sales in communications with Russia over the last year.


Copyright © 2005 East West Services, Inc.

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