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Mexico not to buy Russian military helicopters - newspaper

Neither further details nor the reasons for that were given

© Marina Lyistseva/TASS

MEXICO CITY, February 14. /TASS/. Mexico doesn’t plan to buy more combat helicopters from Russia, El Universal newspaper said on Friday citing its sources in the Mexican foreign ministry.

Neither further details nor the reasons for that were given.

Addressing a news conference in Mexico City last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Mexico’s government was looking at a "concrete offer" from Rosobornexport, Russia’s state-run arms exporter, including on preliminary contracts for Russian helicopters. According to the Russian top diplomat, Mexico already has about 50 Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters, a service and a pilot training centers.

Meanwhile, US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central America Hugo Rodriguez said on February 13 Washington did not rule out a possibility of imposing sanctions against Mexico in case it bought Russian military helicopters.

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