DATE=7/6/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-251495 TITLE=RUSSIA / SYRIA (L-ONLY) BYLINE=ANDRE DE NESNERA DATELINE=MOSCOW CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: SYRIAN PRESIDENT HAFEZ AL-ASSAD HAS ENDED TALKS IN MOSCOW WITH SENIOR RUSSIAN OFFICIALS. AS CORRESPONDENT ANDRE DE NESNERA REPORTS FROM THE RUSSIAN CAPITAL, THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AS WELL AS BILATERAL ISSUES WERE DISCUSSED. TEXT: THIS WAS SYRIAN PRESIDENT HAFEZ AL-ASSAD'S FIRST VISIT TO MOSCOW SINCE 1990, WHEN HE MET WITH THEN-SOVIET LEADER MIKHAIL GORBACHEV. SO IT WAS NO SURPRISE THAT VARIOUS RUSSIAN OFFICIALS DESCRIBED THIS VISIT AS A LANDMARK EVENT FOR THE TWO COUNTRIES. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN GREETED MR. ASSAD IN THE KREMLIN, SAYING HE IS AN IMPORTANT FIGURE IN MIDDLE EAST POLITICS AND AN OLD FRIEND OF RUSSIA. THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST WAS THE MAIN TOPIC OF DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE TWO LEADERS, WHO WERE JOINED IN THE TALKS BY RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV. AFTER THE MEETING, MR. IVANOV TOLD REPORTERS MOSCOW MUST PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN FINDING A LASTING PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. // IVANOV ACT IN RUSSIAN, THEN FADE // MR. IVANOV SAID -- SYRIA VALUES GREATLY THE ROLE PLAYED BY RUSSIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES IN TRYING TO PEACEFULLY RESOLVE THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THE RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ALSO CALLED FOR SYRIA AND ISRAEL TO RESUME THEIR DIALOGUE. RUSSIAN OFFICIALS DID NOT COMMENT ON WHETHER THE TWO SIDES DISCUSSED POSSIBLE SYRIAN PURCHASES OF RUSSIAN WEAPONS AND MILITARY EQUIPMENT. BUT VARIOUS RUSSIAN PUBLICATIONS SAID THAT WAS THE REAL REASON FOR MR. ASSAD'S VISIT, SINCE DURING SOVIET TIMES, MOSCOW WAS SYRIA'S LARGEST ARMS PROVIDER. // OPT // THE "KOMMERSANT" DAILY SAYS SYRIA IS IN THE PROCESS OF MODERNIZING ITS ARMED FORCES AND WANTS TO BUY TOP-OF-THE-LINE FIGHTER JETS SUCH AS MIG-29'S. "KOMMERSANT" ALSO SAYS SYRIA WANTS TO PURCHASE UPGRADED AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS AND MODERN T-80 TANKS. THE NEW WEAPONS DEAL COULD BRING RUSSIA AN ESTIMATED TWO-BILLION DOLLARS OVER FIVE YEARS. "KOMMERSANT" SAYS MR. ASSAD IS IN MOSCOW TO FINALIZE THE DEAL AND IRON OUT ANY LAST-MINUTE PROBLEMS. // END OPT // IN A RELATED DEVELOPMENT, RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER SERGEI STEPASHIN SAYS MOSCOW PLANS TO INCREASE ITS ARMS EXPORTS TO FUND ITS MILITARY AND BOOST ITS GLOBAL INFLUENCE. MR. STEPASHIN MADE THOSE COMMENTS DURING A MEETING OF THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENTS' DEFENSE COMMITTEE. THE ITAR-TASS NEWS AGENCY QUOTES MR. STEPASHIN AS SAYING GREATER MILITARY COOPERATION WITH OTHER NATIONS WOULD PLAY A BIG ROLE IN STRENGTHENING RUSSIA'S POLITICAL INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD. (SIGNED) NEB/ADEN/PCF/RAE 06-Jul-99 11:55 AM EDT (1555 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
