Russia Will Abide by Arms Sales Accords

Russia’s defense minister said Wednesday that his country will abide by international agreements concerning weapons sales to Iran, but he added that its stance won’t preclude some arms deals, the Iranian state news agency reported.

In the first visit by a Russian defense minister to Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Igor D. Sergeyev held a round of talks with Iranian military officials and said the countries’ positions were close, the Islamic Republic News Agency, or IRNA, reported.

Sergeyev later met with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, who described the visit of the Russian military delegation as “an important landmark” in relations between the two countries, IRNA said.

The visit comes amid U.S. pressure on Russia not to sell weapons to the Islamic republic.

When asked about the U.S. position, Sergeyev said that “we respect the opinion of each country but keep to our own interests,” IRNA said.

Still, he said, “Russia will not break international agreements,” an apparent reference to international nuclear nonproliferation accords.

The Russian government has said it will not supply any hardware capable of creating or delivering weapons of mass destruction. Russia maintains, however, that resumption of the conventional-weapons trade with Iran is an “internal affair.”

Russia alarmed Washington by announcing last month that it was abandoning a 1995 pledge not to sell tanks and other battlefield weapons to Iran. The U.S., which accuses Tehran of sponsoring terrorism, is trying to persuade Moscow to change its mind and has threatened economic sanctions.

The U.S. and other countries also have raised concerns that Russia’s construction of a nuclear power plant in Iran could give Tehran access to materials and knowledge for making nuclear weapons. Both Moscow and Tehran have denied the claim.

Upon his arrival Tuesday, Sergeyev said neither Russia nor Iran would allow any country to prevent them from expanding their ties.

Iran, which has declared itself self-sufficient in missiles, has built and tested several missiles, including the Shahab-3, which has a range of about 800 miles.