{{The Russian MiG aircraft maker said it plans to sign a new agreement to ship at least 10 fighter jets to Syria, a move that comes amid international criticism of earlier Russian weapons deals with Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime.}}<\/p>\n
MiG’s director general, Sergei Korotkov, said a Syrian delegation was in Moscow to discuss the details of a new contract for the delivery of MiG-29 M\/M2 fighters. <\/p>\n
In remarks carried by Russian news agencies, he said Syria wanted to buy “more than 10” such fighters, but would not give the exact number.<\/p>\n
Russia has said it is only providing Assad with weapons intended to protect Syria from a foreign invasion, such as air defense missile systems. <\/p>\n
It has claimed it is not delivering weapons that could be used in Syria’s two-year civil war, which has killed more than 70,000 people and sent millions fleeing the country.<\/p>\n
But the delivery of MiGs would contradict that claim and expose Russia to global criticism, so the Kremlin might think twice before giving the go-ahead.<\/p>\n
A MiG spokesman would not comment on Korotkov’s statement, and the MiG chief could be referring to a deal the company previously negotiated with Syria that apparently has been put on hold amid the civil war.<\/p>\n
Moscow has shipped billions of dollars’ worth of missiles, combat jets, tanks, artillery and other military gear to Syria over more than four decades. <\/p>\n
Syria now is Russia’s last remaining ally in the Middle East and hosts the only naval base Moscow has outside the former Soviet Union.<\/p>\n
Russia has shielded Assad from U.N. sanctions and has continued to provide his regime with weapons despite the uprising against him that began in March 2011.<\/p>\n
U.N. diplomat said sunday that Russia had blocked a Security Council declaration that would have criticized the Syrian regime’s offensive against the town of Qusair.<\/p>\n
The Security Council diplomat said Russia blocked the declaration because the council made no statement when rebels seized the town.<\/p>\n
Syria’s political opposition cited the dire situation in Qusair as one of the reasons for not attending peace talks with the regime in Geneva.<\/p>\n
Russian media reports say Syria placed an order a few years ago for 12 MiG-29 M\/M2 fighters with an option of buying another 12. <\/p>\n
The Stockholm Peace Research Institute also has reported that Russia planned to provide Syria with 24 of the aircraft.<\/p>\n
The MiG-29 M\/M2 is an advanced version of the MiG-29 twin-engine fighter jet, which has been a mainstay of the Soviet and Russian air force since mid-1980s. <\/p>\n
Syria had about 20 fighters of the original make among scores of other Soviet- and Russian-built aircraft.<\/p>\n
{The Moscow Times } <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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