DATE=7/15/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-235477 TITLE=ISRAEL / RUSSIA / IRAN (L) BYLINE=AL PESSIN DATELINE=JERUSALEM CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: THE HEAD OF RUSSIA'S MAIN SECURITY SERVICE IS IN ISRAEL FOR TALKS EXPECTED TO INCLUDE RUSSIA'S SALES OF MISSILE TECHNOLOGY TO IRAN. V-O-A'S AL PESSIN REPORTS FROM JERUSALEM. TEXT: THE HEAD OF RUSSIA'S FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICE, NIKOLAI KOVALYOV, IS HERE TO TALK ABOUT COOPERATION WITH ISRAEL'S SECURITY SERVICES ON SUCH SUBJECTS AS STOPPING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME. BUT ISRAELI OFFICIALS ALSO HAVE ANOTHER ISSUE HIGH ON THEIR AGENDA -- RUSSIA'S MILITARY RELATIONS WITH IRAN. THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT IS OPPOSED TO THE SALE OF MISSILE TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER ADVANCED WEAPONRY TO IRAN. BUT ISRAEL SAYS IT IS NOT DOING ENOUGH TO STOP SUCH SALES BY PRIVATE RUSSIAN COMPANIES. A FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN SAYS MR. KOVALYOV WILL BE ASKED TO DO MORE TO BLOCK THE PRIVATE SALES. ISRAEL ALSO IS CONCERNED ABOUT A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT RUSSIA IS HELPING IRAN BUILD. ISRAEL SAYS IT COULD BE PART OF A NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM, BUT BOTH RUSSIA AND IRAN DENY THE CHARGE. MR. KOVALYOV'S VISIT WAS KEPT SECRET UNTIL ISRAELI NEWSPAPERS BROKE THE STORY ON WEDNESDAY. THE LIEUTENANT-GENERAL IS A FORMER HEAD OF THE SOVIET K-G-B, AND HIS CURRENT AGENCY IS ONE OF THE K-G-B'S SUCCESSORS. HE IS EXPECTED TO MEET WITH SEVERAL SENIOR OFFICIALS, INCLUDING PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, IN ADDITION TO HIS COUNTERPARTS IN ISRAEL'S SECURITY SERVICES. MR. KOVALYOV ALSO WILL MEET WITH ISRAEL'S MINISTER OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY, NATAN SHARANSKY, WHO WAS A SOVIET DISSIDENT IMPRISONED BY THE K-G-B FOR NINE YEARS BEFORE BEING ALLOWED TO IMMIGRATE TO ISRAEL IN 1986. MINISTER SHARANSKY NOW SERVES AS A KEY ISRAELI LINK TO RUSSIA, AND HAS VISITED THERE SEVERAL TIMES SINCE TAKING OFFICE TWO YEARS AGO, INCLUDING A TRIP TO MOSCOW EARLIER THIS YEAR DURING WHICH HE MET WITH MR. KOVALYOV. (SIGNED) NEB/AWP/JWH 15-Jul-98 8:13 AM EDT (1213 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
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