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Contacts with Riyadh over S-400 supplies have good preliminary result — Kremlin

Cooperation between Moscow and Riyadh is absolutely self-sufficient and is not targeted against third countries, the Kremlin spokesman stressed

MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. Contacts between Moscow and Riyadh over the supplies of Russian air defense systems S-400 to Saudi Arabia have a very good preliminary result, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, when asked if there was a risk the deal might not take place.

"In this particular case we can speak only for ourselves. The contacts over implementing this deal have been very positive and achieved a very good preliminary result," Peskov said. "Cooperation between Moscow and Riyadh in general and in the military-technical field in particular is absolutely self-sufficient and is not targeted against third countries, either in this region (the Middle East) or in other regions of the world. We are certain that such cooperation must not worry anybody," Peskov said.

Earlier, the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said that Russia and Saudi Arabia achieved agreement on the supplies of S-400 missile systems to Riyadh.

S-400 Triumf is a long-range air defense system, authorized for use in 2007. It is meant for destroying aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including-medium range ones and can be used against ground targets. The deputy commander of Russia’s Aerospace Force, Viktor Gumenny, said that the S-400 systems began to be armed with missiles capable of hitting targets in near space.

China was the first foreign customer to have ordered S-400 from Russia. Work is in progress under a similar contract with Turkey.