"We'd like to make a reminder that Russia like other states has the right to maintain military technology trade with any country of the world, with no UN Security Council sanctions or any other restrictions on arms acquisition imposed on it. As far as we know Venezuela is not being at war or in armed dispute with a single Latin American state," said the foreign ministry.
The move has resulted from the Venezuelan leadership's decision to undertake planned modernization of the national army which is equipped not only with small arms but also with heavier weapons manufactured in the USA, Germany, Belgium, France and Israel.
"But nobody questions the right of these states to sell their weapons and military technology to Venezuela like to any other Latin American country," said the Russian foreign ministry.
Regarding this issue, Moscow was also guided by considerations of regional stability.
"The claims that terrorists would lay hands precisely on Russia-made weapons looks biased and unsubstantiated," said the foreign ministry. "Such apprehensions can be equally applied to any weapons sold on the world markets, including US-made guns."
This position is shared in Venezuela. Vice-President Jose Vicente Rangel declared in a special communique that "Venezuela as a sovereign country is free to take any decisions concerning its internal affairs, without consulting anyone else." "The government of Venezuela is accountable in this case only to the citizens of its own country."
The communique also says that the acquisition of small arms and helicopters of Russian make has nothing to do with the escalation of the arms race-it is a planned step on the Venezuelan army modernization program.
"The government of Venezuela ensures that the weapons to be bought under the contract are meant to be used only for the declared purposes and shall not fall into strange hands. Such apprehensions on the part of the United States are groundless while Mr.Noriega's pertinent pronouncements are precipitate, in the least," said the vice-president.
