RUSSIAN PRESIDENT TO MEET GREEK DEFENCE MINISTER

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet the Greek Defence Minister in Athens on Friday, said Deputy Russian Defence Minister and Chairman of the Commission on Military and Technical Cooperation with Foreign States Mikhail Dmitriyev. According to Mr. Dmitriyev, the Greek side initiated the meeting. Mr. Dmitriyev did not rule out that during the meeting, alongside military and technical cooperation, the two sides would address political issues. The deputy defence minister stressed that military and technical cooperation had been addressed at the meeting between the Russian and Greek presidents. He especially emphasised that this is not the primary issue in the bilateral relations, but an important one. According to Mr. Dmitriyev, there are "quite good prospects in the area," and "both sides are willing to cooperate." He asserted that among NATO members, Greece was on the top of the list of Russian weaponry importers. He added, "Russia does not feel that Greece is under NATO's pressure in any sense" as far as its military cooperation with Russia is concerned. Mr. Dmitriyev highlighted that Russia supplies Greece with landing hover ship, air-defence systems, and anti-tank missile systems. The deputy defence minister also called deliveries of Russian helicopters to Greece a "promising area" in cooperation.