Sunday, Feb 13, 2005
Russia shrugs off U.S. protests over arms sale
By Vladimir Radyuhin
MOSCOW, FEB. 12. Russia has brushed aside U.S. protests over proposed arms sales to Venezuela and accused Washington of unfair competition practices.
The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed bewilderment over American concerns that some of Kalashnikov rifles Venezuela wants to buy from Russia could end up with leftist rebels in neighbouring Colombia. Commenting on Russia's plans to sell a large number of AK-47 Kalashnikov rifles to Venezuela the U.S. State Department on Thursday said the weapons could have a "destabilising effect" on the hemisphere.
However, Moscow dismissed as "biased and groundless" Washington's concerns that Russian, rather than American, Israeli, French or German weapons supplied to Venezuela earlier, could fall into rebel hands.
A Foreign Ministry source said the U.S. was merely trying to edge Russia from the Latin American weapons market.
Copyright © 2005, The Hindu.