|
 Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to give any details of
the barter deal. But asked whether a senior Foreign Ministry
official was correct when he said on Monday that the exchange had
begun, Peskov told reporters: "Absolutely. Of course."
Peskov also said no legal barriers remained to supplying the
advanced Russian air defence system S-300 to Iran after President
Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday lifting a ban on such
deliveries.
"One the whole you can say one thing - from the juridical point of
view there are no longer any constraints (on deliveries) now that
the decree has been signed," Peskov said in a conference call with
reporters.
 Iran and six world powers, including Russia, reached an interim deal
with Iran this month on curbing its nuclear programme. They have
until June 30 to work out a detailed agreement under which Tehran
would allow international control in exchange for a lifting of
economic sanctions.
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Sources told Reuters more than a year ago that a barter deal worth
up to $20 billion was being discussed with Tehran and would involve
Russia buying up to 500,000 barrels of Iranian oil a day in exchange
for Russian equipment and goods.
Officials from the two countries have issued contradictory
statements since then on whether a barter deal has been signed, but
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday one was
already being implemented.
(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
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