国际英语新闻：Russia won't cease military-tech cooperation with Iran

MOSCOW, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Russia will not end its military-technical cooperation with Iran despite joining U.N. sanctions against Teheran, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Thursday.

President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday signed a decree, in line with U.N. Security Council resolution No.1929, prohibiting the shipment of S-300 missile systems to Iran. The decree also prohibits the shipment of armored vehicles, warplanes and helicopters, warships to the country.

"We will be unable to cooperate with Iran on that list, but there are other directions (of military-technical cooperation)," RIA Novosti news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying.

Russia has long opposed new sanctions against Iran, saying the dispute should be resolved through diplomatic means. However, since Iran failed to prove that its nuclear enrichment program pursues civilian purposes, Moscow eventually voted for sanctions.