Dmitri Shugaev, the director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, the agency regulating Russia's military-technical cooperation with foreign countries, confirmed that Serbia has expressed an interest in the air defense system.
"Our Serbian partners are expressing an interest in delivery of the S-300 air defense system," Shugaev said, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ARMY-2017 military expo outside Moscow on Thursday.
Speaking to Radio Sputnik, Igor Korotchenko, the editor-in-chief of National Defense, a popular Russian defense publication, noted that Serbia's interest in Russian air defense system is potentially very significant, but not surprising.
"For Serbia, which became a victim of NATO bombing in 1999, the issue of strengthening its air defenses is one of its key priorities," the analyst said. "Therefore, Serbia has a tremendous interest in Russia's long-range air defense systems."
Negotiations on the delivery of S-300s to the country are proceeding actively, Korotchenko noted, as are negotiations on the delivery of MiG-29 fighters.
According to the analyst, "the issue, by all appearances, revolves around the price of the contract…If a contract is signed, this would undoubtedly be a very strong geopolitical step, and an excellent indicator that Russian S-300s and S-400 systems remain the favorites in the global arms market."
"Therefore, the fight will be serious. Massive pressure will be put on Belgrade to try to derail this contract," the observer concluded.
