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Last update - 03:43 07/10/2008
Olmert unlikely to persuade Russia not to arm Iran, Syria
By Haaretz Correspondent and Agencies , By Yossi Melman
Tags: Iran, Russia, Ehud Olmert

MOSCOW - Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will seek Tuesday to persuade Russian President Dmitry Medvedev not to sell weapons to Iran and Syria, but with little chance of success, diplomatic sources said.

Jerusalem is particularly concerned that sales of Russia's S-300 anti-aircraft missile system could threaten Israel's air superiority over both states. And if Iran received these missiles, it would be able to protect its nuclear sites more effectively, making an aerial strike on these sites more difficult.

However, Russia's arms export monopoly denied that it plans to deliver the S-300 missiles to either Iran or Syria, the Interfax news agency reported Monday.
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"We have no information of this kind," a spokesman for Rosoboronexport said when asked about potential sales of the sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons to Tehran or Damascus.

The S-300 missile, called the SA-10 in the west, has a range of 150 kilometers (90 miles) and is capable of striking a plane up to 30 kilometers (18 miles) above the ground.

Olmert, who is on a two-day visit to Moscow, is scheduled to meet Medvedev in the Kremlin at midday. Part of the meeting is due to be a tete-a-tete.

During his flight to Moscow Monday, Olmert was asked whether he could influence Russia's policy on arms sales and replied, "I don't want to boast." But his chances of dissuading Medvedev from selling arms to Iran and Syria are widely considered small.

Russian sources told Haaretz there would be no change in Russia's position. They said Russia would not provide any Middle Eastern country with offensive weapons that could disrupt the region's stability, but would consider any request for defensive weapons.

But Israeli sources said they did not know whether Russia has already signed agreements to provide the advanced missile systems to Iran and Syria, or even whether it intends to do so, as the Russian media have reported over the past year.

Olmert landed Monday at Moscow's Domodedovo International Airport and proceeded to a meeting and dinner with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Olmert told the journalists accompanying him that in addition to Russian arms sales to the Middle East, he and his hosts would discuss Iran's nuclear program and Israel's peace talks with the Palestinians and Syrians. He said the Russians "have a special interest" in the peace talks.

However, Russia is not expected to accede to Israel's request that it change its position on Iran's nuclear program. Russia objects to harsher international sanctions on Iran and has already provided low-grade enriched uranium for Iran's nuclear reactor in Bushehr, which is due to begin operating next year. Moscow is also in preliminary negotiations with Tehran to build two more reactors for electricity production in Iran.

Olmert and Medvedev will also discuss the situation in Georgia following its war with Russia in August. However, Israeli sources said, Russia commended Israel for having stopped its arms sales to Georgia completely even before the war and restricted its sales to defensive systems before then. Consequently, this issue is no longer a strain on bilateral relations, the sources said.

Olmert reiterated that Israel would have to give up most of the West Bank and agree to territorial exchanges in any peace agreement with the Palestinians. Asked whether his statement reflected the views of prime minister-designate Tzipi Livni, he said: "My statement reflected my opinion, but this is what the negotiations were based on. She [Livni] was a party to everything, but she does not necessarily agree with every one of my positions."

Asked whether his statements would not bind Livni and the next government, Olmert replied: "I'm not holding Livni to everything I've said, but I believe what I said reflects the negotiations and they will continue in this spirit."

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      1.   No Kiddin 03:52  |  Persian Kitty 07/10/08
      2.   Headline reads"olmert lands in moscow to press russia against 04:00  |  glenna 07/10/08
      3.   Russian arms sales 04:32  |  geoff 07/10/08
      4.   Russia unlikely to persuade Olmert to stop fraud 05:05  |  Aounist 07/10/08
      5.   Too little, too late! 05:47  |  Webster 07/10/08
      6.   Geoff in Sydney 06:57  |  Mark of Lewiston 07/10/08
      7.   Olmert/Livni/Peres/Barak=LOSERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 07:10  |  OLMERT=CRIMINAL 07/10/08
      8.   Russia responding to American missile shield over Poland 07:20  |  Natallie Durson 07/10/08
      9.   US protection only goes so far 07:38  |  Bob Berry 07/10/08
      10.   No ! to peace at any price. 07:59  |  Jean Van Daem 07/10/08
      11.   OLMERT unlikely to persuade anyone now ...... 08:32  |  Dagma 07/10/08
      12.   Why should Medvedev respect a corrupt non-PM ? 08:40  |  S 07/10/08
      13.   Georgia on my mind... 09:02  |  BBSNews 07/10/08
      14.   Arming Iran and Syria 09:14  |  Paul 07/10/08
      15.   Antisemites and Jews think Israel too important 09:33  |  Uri 07/10/08
      16.   Russia has always armed Israel`s enemies 09:34  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/10/08
      17.   Checkmate,#9.Watch Israel Terroritsts Flaunt.Don`t Take a NO! 09:35  |  Sing 07/10/08
      18.   No, Natallie # 8 09:35  |  Uri 07/10/08
      19.   To S # 10 09:52  |  Uri 07/10/08
      20.   Russia, says only "Defense systems"..! 10:20  |  Stephen. 07/10/08
      21.   I suggest Olmert Buys some S.A.M. for Israel 10:51  |  Adel 07/10/08
      22.   #20, Stephen 10:55  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/10/08
      23.   #!# bbs doesnt define a fair and just agreement with 11:00  |  v.hardman 07/10/08
      24.   Natallie and the poor Russians 11:17  |  Israeli citizen 07/10/08
      25.   RUSSIA WILL give them the s-300, rest assured 11:20  |  VIPER 07/10/08
      26.   i`ll say it AGAIN for the ZIONISTS 11:24  |  VIPER 07/10/08
      27.   Israeli hypocrisy 11:26  |  mikey 07/10/08
      28.   #25 viper the bad adder knows no history 11:48  |  victor hardman 07/10/08
      29.   Moslems are Russia`s best friends! 11:48  |  Alicia 07/10/08
      30.   #21 Cipora. Shana Tova. 11:56  |  Stephen. 07/10/08
      31.   # 29. Alicia. Problems of "sharing"..! 12:42  |  Stephen. 07/10/08
      32.   #16 Cipora rejoicing too early 12:45  |  Alicia 07/10/08
      33.   # 3 geoff 12:49  |  Axel 07/10/08
      34.   With S-300, Syria can impose and maintain... 12:56  |  Dutch Dirk 07/10/08
      35.   Russia arming dark forces 12:59  |  Brod 07/10/08
      36.   # 20 stephen 13:34  |  Axel 07/10/08
      37.   Stupid stupidity at it`s stupidest 13:43  |  Chris Linthwaite 07/10/08
      38.   #.35 axel. True enough. 14:10  |  Stephen. 07/10/08
      39.   #.33.Dutch Dirk. Very impressive. 14:32  |  Stephen. 07/10/08
      40.   #31 Stephen, true 16:09  |  Alicia 07/10/08
      41.   Olmert did not have a chance in a million anyway..... 16:23  |  Onlooker 07/10/08
      42.   What a WASTE of good Tax Money to send Olmert 16:44  |  Dagma 07/10/08
      43.   why don`t you send gaydamak over to speak with putin;he would 16:45  |  glenna 07/10/08
      44.   # 38 stephen 17:05  |  Axel 07/10/08
      45.   # 22 cjk 18:14  |  Axel 07/10/08
      46.   #30, stephen 21:28  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/10/08
      47.   #45, axel, everything in israel is kosher 21:30  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/10/08
      48.   #35, BROD and the enemy that lives in his head 00:33  |  VIPER 08/10/08
      49.   A futile mission We need a real Prime Minister now 14:13  |  Shalom Freedman 10/10/08
      50.   why not,,,,? 15:22  |  ravi 12/10/08
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