Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov confirmed in Washington that Russia would supply Syria with P-800 Yakhont cruise missiles, Russian news agencies reported Friday.
"We will supply Yakhont to Syria, we will fulfill the contract," Serdyukov was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS news agency in comments to Russian journalists, adding that the contract was signed in 2007.
Serdyukov was speaking in Washington during a visit to the Pentagon aimed at expanding military ties as part of the countries' much-vaunted "reset" in relations. Russia's arms sales and possible nuclear cooperation with Syria, which has close ties to Iran, is unnerving for the United States and Israel, which fears them being transferred to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Serdyukov described such fears as unjustified. "The U.S. and Israel ask us not to supply Syria with Yakhont. But we do not see the concerns expressed by them that these arms will fall into the hands of terrorists," he said.
The Russian defense minister also called for an end to a deadlock over a key Cold War arms treaty limiting conventional military forces of Europe. Russia abandoned it in 2007 over US plans to install a missile shield in Eastern Europe.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=russia-to-supply-syria-with-cruise-missiles-2010-09-17