Russia denies it’s helping Iran build missiles to aim at Israel

JERUSALEM -- Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov denied Sunday that Moscow is helping Iran build a ballistic missile arsenal.

Regardless of that statement and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence that Israeli intelligence does not support Primakov's claim, the two governments say they intend to tighten their relations and work together toward Middle East peace.

With Netanyahu standing at his side at the end of a long one-on-one session, Primakov said, "Russia is not doing anything that would advance Iran toward possession of weapons of mass destruction."

Declaring that Russia adheres to U.N. agreements against the proliferation of missile technology, Primakov said "neither technology nor materials of any kind that could be used in the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction" are being provided to Iran.

With regard to Lebanon, Primakov confirmed Russia's willingness to participate in the multinational commission monitoring violations of the Operation Grapes of Wrath cease-fire, but ruled out the deployment of Russian troops in the security zone should Israel withdraw.

In an earlier meeting with Foreign Minister David Levy, the Russian diplomat dismissed a question about Moscow's involvement in the Iranian missile program as "baseless rumors."

But the prime minister countered, saying, "We are not in agreement on the factual basis."

In the final stage of the Netanyahu-Primakov meeting, an intelligence officer, Gen. Moshe Ya'alon, entered the Prime Minister's Office carrying an attaché case that presumably contained evidence of Iran's missile buildup.

Contending that Israel is the only country in the world "against which a contract has been taken out for its destruction," Netanyahu charged that the Iranians are preparing ballistic weapons as well as combat aircraft.

"It is clear that we are the first target and we do not intend to sit still and do nothing," he said.

On the other hand, the prime minister reassured Primakov that Israel does not believe that Russia has nefarious intentions against Israel, but rather is Israel's partner in seeking peace in the region and improvement of the bilateral relationship between Moscow and Jerusalem.

In other developments at the meeting, Israel took issue with Primakov's claim that missing Israeli airman Ron Arad is dead.

Arad bailed out of his fighter plane over Lebanon in 1986 and was believed to have been held by pro-Iranian troops in Lebanon. The last time any message was received that he was alive was in October 1987.

Primakov did not explain why he believed Arad was dead, but Netanyahu said the latest Israeli intelligence suggested that Arad was still alive.

Primakov made an unscheduled stop in Damascus before heading back to Moscow, in order to convey Israeli ideas for restarting peace negotiations with Syria. Those talks have been suspended for more than a year.

The Israeli message was believed to come in response to one Primakov brought with him to Israel from Damascus, where he held talks Saturday with Syrian President Hafez Assad.

Primakov said the Syrian leader was interested in resuming discussions, but sources in Jerusalem said there was nothing new in the Syrian president's message.