Tehran, YJC. Shoigu is expected to pay an official visit of two days to Iran next week.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s visit is aimed to
cover talks with senior Iranian officials on ways to promote ties between the
two countries in the defense sphere.
The Russian Interfax News Agency quoted the Iranian Embassy
in Moscow’s press office on Thursday that Shoigu will arrive in Tehran on
January 19.
Shoigu is scheduled to hold talks with his Iranian
counterpart, Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan, on January 20.
Head of Russia’s Strategies and Technologies Analysis Center
Ruslan Pukhov, , pointing to Shoigu’s upcoming visit to Tehran stated that the
trip could resolve issues in Tehran-Moscow arms trade.
The Russian official also said his country’s refusal to
deliver S-300 missile systems to Iran had a "negative” impact on the two
countries’ "climate in bilateral military technological cooperation”.
"This of course doesn't mean that there won’t be domestic
projects_ for example exports of radar equipment designed and manufactured by Almaz-Antey
or, for that matter, electronic warfare equipment produced by the KRET
corporation,” he noted.
According to a contract which was signed in 2007, the Russian
Federation was required to provide the Islamic Republic with at least five
S-300 missile systems.
But Russia refused to deliver the systems under the pretext
that it is was banned by a series of sanctions imposed on Iran by the UN.