MOSCOW, June 4 (RIA Novosti) — Russian arms supplies to Pakistan are not aimed against third countries, Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
"We are indeed in talks with our Pakistani partners about Russian assistance in strengthening counterterrorist and anti-drug potential of Islamabad, including through the delivery of a batch of Mi-35 helicopters. Helicopters have previously been delivered to Pakistan, while the overall military-technical cooperation with this country dates back to 1960s," said in the statement.
"Russian-Pakistani collaboration in this area does not designate a change in the current military strategic balance in the region and is not directed against third countries," it said.
Head of Russian Rostec Corporation, a high-tech industrial producer and exporter, Sergei Chemezov, said earlier that Russia had decided to lift the embargo on arms and machinery deliveries to Pakistan.
A source at Pakistan’s foreign ministry told RIA Novosti that Russia never officially adhered to the embargo. Rostec later said no embargo had ever been in place.
