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Ecuador doesn’t want to break ties with Russia — president

Noboa said on January 10 that Ecuador planned to transfer Russian-and Ukrainian-made weapons to the United States in exchange for new equipment costing some $200 million

BUENOS AIRES, January 31. /TASS/. Ecuador doesn’t want to sever relations with Russia, despite the conflict around the potential transfer Russian-made weapons to the United States in exchange for new equipment, President Daniel Noboa said.

"We will not break relations with Russia," he said in an interview with the Ecuavisa television channel.

Noboa said on January 10 that Ecuador planned to transfer Russian-and Ukrainian-made weapons to the United States in exchange for new equipment costing some $200 million. Following this statement, Russian Ambassador to Ecuador Vladimir Sprinchan said that Moscow had warned Quito that such a transfer would be interpreted as an unfriendly step.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said that under the bilateral military cooperation agreement, Ecuador cannot transfer military products to third countries without Russia’s written consent.

Noboa’s statement appeared amid the aggravating security crisis in Ecuador. On January 9, Noboa declared a state of public emergency for 60 days and imposed a curfew.

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