BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

22/04/2006

Russia delivers S-300 air defense systems to Belarus

MOSCOW, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Russia delivered the first batch of S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Belarus on Friday, Belarussian Defense Minister Leonid Maltsev said.

Maltsev told a news conference that S-300 missiles systems were defensive weapons, and the deployment of the systems was an internal affairs deal between Belarus and Russia.

The minister also denied western media claims that Belarus planned to re-export the systems to Iran.

"The report was nonsense. Under the framework of the Joint Air Defense Group of the Union State, Belarus has no rights to transfer the systems to others." he said.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, during a working visit to Minsk, said defense ministries of the two nations should coordinate their activities more closely and their cooperation was an important factor safeguarding the regional security.

Russia and Belarus signed an agreement last year on the delivery of the anti-aircraft missile systems.

The S-300 systems, which can hit targets at altitudes of 20m-45km, and simultaneously engage six targets, will be a part ofthe Russian-Belarussian joint air defense system deployed in western regions in June. Enditem

Source:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-04/22/content_4459786.htm