Saudi-Russia Talks on S-400 Missile Defence System Purchase 'Progressing'

The Saudi Ambassador to Moscow Rayed Krimly said that the negotiations on the purchase of Russian-built S-400 missile air defense system is ‘advancing well’ and both the parties are working out on technical details of the contract.

"We signed the contract during the King’s visit, what is now happening is the implementation requires technical details of technology transfers, other technical details between experts of both sides … Experts need to finish their discussions, we cannot put a date for the end of discussions, but it is proceeding in a very positive manner," Krimly told Sputnik in an interview on Thursday, added that many delegations were discussing this issue.

On October 5, Russian media quoted the information office of The Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) as confirming an agreement with Saudi Arabia, for the sale of the S-400 air defense system, a Kornet-M anti-armor system and a rocket launcher Tos-A1, the AGS-30 grenade launcher and the Kalashnikov AK-103, during King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s visit at the time.

CEO of Russia's Rostec Corporation Sergey Chemezov said in December that talks were underway, but no contracts had been signed yet.

The S-400 Triumf is considered the latest Russian long-range anti-aircraft missile system.