Iranian diplomat: Lift of S-300 embargo is a big chance for Iran-Russia cooperation

Tehran, June 3, IRNA – Iran's Ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanaei told Russian News Agency TASS that lifting of embargo for the delivery of S-300 air defense systems to Iran has provided a big opportunity for military and technical cooperation between Iran and Russia. Sanaei said technical aspects should not be an obstacle to deliveries of Russian S-300 air defense systems to Iran as Moscow has already lifted the embargo in principle. To a question on Iran's decision to abandon a lawsuit, filed against Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport in the Geneva Arbitration Court in 2011, seeking $4 billion in compensation for non-delivery of the S-300 air defense system, Sanaei told Russian newspaper Kommersant newspaper to be published on Wednesday, 'What's most important is the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin has lifted the embargo. The rest is up to experts. These are technical aspects, rather than serious problems, and I don't think that they would become obstacles to the implementation of decisions taken by the Russian president.' The Iranian ambassador stressed that Putin's decision to lift the embargo 'has opened serious possibilities in military cooperation' between Moscow and Tehran. Sanaei also reiterated that if Moscow delivers S-300 missiles to Iran, the issue of current lawsuit against Russia over previous contract will be settled. In April, Putin lifted the ban on S-300 deliveries, shortly after the P5+1 group of international negotiators and Iran reached a framework nuclear agreement.