ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) — Russia and Turkey have agreed on all technical aspects of the deal on supplies of S-400 missile systems, CEO of Rostec Corporation Sergey Chemezov said Saturday on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
"As for the S-400 system, the discussions are going on, all the technical issues have already been agreed on, the current discussions refer to the financial issues, the Turkish side is seeking to get loan," Chemezov told reporters, adding that Turkish and Russian Finance Ministries were engaged in talks on the issue, though he did not know the outcome of the negotiations.
The negotiations on possible deliveries of the Russian S-400 air defense systems to Turkey have taken place since 2016. In March, Chemezov said Ankara was ready to buy the S-400 systems with a loan granted by Moscow.
On May 3, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had discussed the supplies of S-400 systems with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting in Sochi, stressing that the issue of S-400 was a "sensitive" one.
The S-400 Triumf, which NATO refers to as the SA-21 Growler, was developed by the Almaz-Antey defense contractor and manufactured by the Fakel Machine-Building Design Bureau. The system is capable of intercepting all types of modern air weaponry, including fifth-generation warplanes, as well as ballistic and cruise missiles at a maximum range of nearly 250 miles.
The 21st annual SPIEF is a major global platform for business representatives where crucial economic issues are discussed. SPIEF is held between Thursday and Saturday. Sputnik News Agency is the official media partner of the forum.