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Belarus sells weapons to Iran: Minsk officials
MINSK (AFP) Nov 20, 2003
The isolated former Soviet republic of Belarus said Thursday that its arms sales in recent years mainly went to four countries including Iran and Sudan.

Minsk has exported tanks, armoured personnel carriers and heavy artillery to Tehran, Khartoum, the Ivory Coast and Algeria, said Vasily Pavlov, top arms export control official at the foreign ministry.

However, he denied any Belarussian military exports to Iraq under ousted president Saddam Hussein.

Washington has accused the authoritarian regime of President Alexander Lukashenko of selling military communication equipment to Iraq in violation of the UN embargo before the US-led invasion in March.

Pavlov presented a report on Belarussian arms sales in 2002 and 2003 to reporters.

"Belarus is the first country of the CIS (grouping of former Soviet republics) to have published such a document, which shows our country's wish to increase transparency in military sales," he said.

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