EU confidential cargo : Russia concerned over Soviet-type weapons delivery to Syrian opposition

Russia is concerned over Romanian media reports on the supply of large batches of Soviet-type weapons from Romania and Bulgaria with the US assistance for transfer to Syrian opposition groups, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS on Thursday.

"We carefully studied this information," the spokeswoman said. ‘We have no grounds to leave it without attention," she added.

According to Zakharova, a large batch of Soviet-type weapons was shipped by sea with Romania’s assistance through Turkey and Jordan to the so-called Syrian rebels fighting against the regime of legitimately elected President Bashar Assad.

"The range of shipped military products was quite wide, from traditional Kalashnikov assault rifles, grenade launchers and hand-held antitank systems to armaments of various designations," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.

• "What is obvious is the illegal re-export of unlicensed types of Soviet military products," Zakharova said.

• A similar operation was held using the infrastructure of the Bulgarian port of Bourgas for the illegal transfer of some "confidential cargo" to the region to support the anti-Assad armed opposition, the spokeswoman said.

"It follows from the above-mentioned facts that Romanian and Bulgarian partners are consciously violating the rights to the results of intellectual property received during bilateral military and technical cooperation and breaching their commitments under the international Arms Trade Treaty, violating the European Union’s common position on control of the exports of military technologies and equipment," Zakharova said.

"Their steps that were taken, as we understand, at the suggestion and with the participation of US government structures do not contribute to the quickest settlement of the situation and the cessation of combat operations there," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
[tass.ru]
21/4/16
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