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Russia sells military spare parts to North Korea
Moscow, Aug 26: Russia provides North Korea with spare parts for its Soviet-built fighter jets and armor and has no intention of giving it any offensive weapons, the Russian defense minister said today.
Moscow, Aug 26: Russia provides North Korea with spare parts for its Soviet-built fighter jets and armor and has no intention of giving it any offensive weapons, the Russian defense minister said today.
"We are supplying some equipment that cannot be called modern, let alone offensive, to North Korea," defense minister Sergei Ivanov said on a trip to the Buryatia region of southern Siberia, according to the Interfax news agency. He said that Russia is supplying North Korea with defense systems and spare parts for tanks and fighter planes, but didn't elaborate. "We have certain plans for developing military-technical cooperation, but not everything depends on us here," he said. "A lot also depends on the economic and financial capabilities of North Korea." Despite the new warmth in relations with the United States, Russia has maintained close ties with Iran, Iraq and North Korea -- countries that US President George W Bush has dubbed the "axis of evil" because of their alleged efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction and sponsorship of international terrorism. North Korean leader Kim Jong II visited Russia last week for the second consecutive summer. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his talks with Kim focused on economic development of impoverished North Korea.
"Russia is approaching military-technical cooperation with foreign countries with its national and economic interests in mind," Ivanov said today. "North Korea is our neighbour and, naturally, the events taking place there attract interest."
Bureau Report
"We are supplying some equipment that cannot be called modern, let alone offensive, to North Korea," defense minister Sergei Ivanov said on a trip to the Buryatia region of southern Siberia, according to the Interfax news agency. He said that Russia is supplying North Korea with defense systems and spare parts for tanks and fighter planes, but didn't elaborate. "We have certain plans for developing military-technical cooperation, but not everything depends on us here," he said. "A lot also depends on the economic and financial capabilities of North Korea." Despite the new warmth in relations with the United States, Russia has maintained close ties with Iran, Iraq and North Korea -- countries that US President George W Bush has dubbed the "axis of evil" because of their alleged efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction and sponsorship of international terrorism. North Korean leader Kim Jong II visited Russia last week for the second consecutive summer. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his talks with Kim focused on economic development of impoverished North Korea.
"Russia is approaching military-technical cooperation with foreign countries with its national and economic interests in mind," Ivanov said today. "North Korea is our neighbour and, naturally, the events taking place there attract interest."
Bureau Report