Russia lifts arms embargo to Pakistan: report

Russia has long been the largest supplier of arms to India, which is the world's top arms buyer.


Afp June 02, 2014
Moscow's move to supply Islamabad came as New Delhi is seeking to modernise its armed forces' ageing hardware and has recently chosen to buy arms from Israel, France, Britain and the United States. DESIGN: ESSA MALIK

MOSCOW: Russia has lifted its embargo on arms supplies to Pakistan and is holding talks on supplying Islamabad with combat helicopters, the head of state-owned Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, said Monday, the ITAR-TASS news agency reported.

"Such a decision has been taken. We are holding talks on supplying the helicopters," Chemezov said, adding that the negotiations were about Russian Mi-35 Hind attack helicopters.

Russia has long been the largest supplier of arms to India, which is the world's top arms buyer.

But Moscow's move to supply Islamabad came as New Delhi is seeking to modernise its armed forces' ageing hardware and has recently chosen to buy arms from Israel, France, Britain and the United States.

Leading Russian defence commentator Pavel Felgenhauer said the lifting of the embargo that had been in force since the Soviet era marked a sea change in Russian policy on arms sales, which until now have been focused on India amid difficult relations between New Delhi and Islamabad.

"This is an important, key change in Russian policy in the region," he told AFP.

"The sale of arms to Pakistan will abruptly worsen our relations with India, the main buyer of our arms... This risks dismantling our cooperation with India," Felgenhauer said.

COMMENTS (46)

S.Akif | 9 years ago | Reply

lol@ indians for this much concern.....I guess Russians think if India can get its hardware from USA n other Nato countries why couldn't v sell our MI35's to pk......No doubt its a major shift in Russian approach and it must be seen with the backdrop of present Ukrainian situation....Russian obviously getting ready to flex its muscles after more than two decades and I really hope Pakistan don't miss out this time to mend ties, which Russia had tried so many times in past and had failed due to our stupid and sold out politicians.

SHB | 9 years ago | Reply

@Sudhanshu Swami: Did we as Pakistani ask for your opinion? We do not need your hypothetical explainations. I hope and like you to mind your own affairs.Thanks in advance.

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