MOSCOW. Dec 22 (Interfax-AVN) - Eritrean Ambassador to Russia Teklai Menassie Asgedom has denied reports that his country is allegedly engaged in smuggling weapons out of Russia.
"Military-technical cooperation between Eritrea and Russia is governed by the appropriate intergovernmental agreements and is of a long-term nature. We see absolutely no need to use illegal schemes to acquire weapons," the ambassador told Interfax on Wednesday.
Asgedom offered his comments in response to a number of Russian media reports that a 1.3-tonne contraband cargo of radio receivers used as part of equipment for armored vehicles had been detained by customs officials at Moscow's Domodedovo airport. The cargo was allegedly intended for Eritrea.
"The Eritrean Embassy in Moscow and our country's government are seriously concerned over the circulation of this kind of information, which is totally untrue," he said.
"Russia's agencies in charge of these issues have not confirmed the aforementioned reports," the ambassador said.
Russia and Eritrea signed a treaty on military-technical cooperation in February 1997.
"This is a strategic document as our army was fully equipped with Soviet and Russian-made arms. And our government decided that the army should continue to be provided exclusively with Russian weapons," he said.
Eritrea works together with Rosoboronexport, the MIG aircraft manufacturer, the Kazan helicopter producing plant and other Russian defense sector enterprises, Asgedom said.
The ambassador has no doubts that "military-technical cooperation between our countries, particularly in the Air Force and air defense areas, will continue to expand."