Political Dimensions of Military Technical Cooperation Between Russia and Saudi Arabia
The role of Russia in the Middle East region has been increasing since the start of operation in Syria. This forces not only Russia, but also the Middle East countries including Saudi Arabia to adjust their politics according to the current situation. Both Russia and Saudi Arabia actively use military technical cooperation to develop relations with other countries, so it is essential that in their interstate relations this instrument should be applied. In this article, the military technical cooperation between Russia and Saudi Arabia is under consideration. The article aims to determine the dependence of military technical cooperation between the countries on politics. There is a lack of literature on the issue; the main part of it covers military technical cooperation between Russia and the Middle East countries and also the interstate relations with them in general. Due to the specific character of the arms trade sphere, the volume of sources is also insufficient. However, it is possible to carry out an analysis that allows forming the general image of the military technical cooperation between Russia and Saudi Arabia and its reason on the basis of related mass media publications and SIPRI data. The analysis of the Russia-Saudi Arabia military technical cooperation development shows that its expansion is in correlation with the growing role of Russia in the Middle East. In the middle of the 2010s, a number of contracts were concluded and performed. The following reasons of this expansion can be mentioned: problems in interstate relations between Saudi Arabia and the Western countries caused by the conflict in Yemen and Jamal Khashoggi's killing, the Arms Trade Treaty limitations for trade with Saudi Arabia for Western countries, Saudi Arabia's diversification of arms suppliers, search of Russia for new arms markets, etc. Nevertheless, these reasons cannot be assumed as reasons of crucial importance: the Western countries maintain their positions on the Saudi Arabia arms market despite all the limitations and issues in interstate relations, Saudi Arabia is not the key arms market for Russia; moreover, the integration of Russian arms systems into Saudi Arabia's armed forces formed by the Western military standard is quite complicated. Taking into account all the limitations related to the military technical cooperation between the countries, it can be stated that neither Russia nor Saudi Arabia has crucial economical or technical reasons for its start. Therefore, the following conclusion can be made: military technical cooperation between these countries is not a single process; it is caused by a whole direction of interstate relations, and it is only an instrument to boost them.
Keywords
military technical cooperation,
arms trade,
Saudi Arabia,
Russia,
Middle EastAuthors
| Seroshtanov Kirill V. | Tomsk State University | seroshtanov.kirill@gmail.com |
Всего: 1
References
Trends in World Military Expenditures, 2019 // SIPRI. URL: https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2018-04/sipri_fs_1805_milex_2017.pdf (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2019 // SIPRI. URL: https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2020-03/fs_2003_at_2019_0.pdf (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Федеральный закон от 19.07.1998 № 114-ФЗ (ред. от 01.05.2019) «О военно-техническом сотрудничестве Российской Федерации с иностранными государствами» // СПС Консультант Плюс.
Sorenson D. “Why the Saudi Arabian Defence Binge?” // Contemporary Security Policy. 2014. Vol. 35, is. 1. P. 116-137.
Волков М.Н. Военно-техническое сотрудничество Российской Федерации на Ближнем Востоке и в Северной Африке в 2012-2017 гг. : Прорыв в новых геополитических условиях // Вестник Томского государственного университета. История. 2018. № 53. C. 93-98.
Корыбко Э., Хаддад Х. Революционные перемены в российской стратегии на Ближнем Востоке // Сравнительная политика. 2017. № 8 (3). С. 38-44.
Stavrianakis A. Legitimizing liberal militarism: politics, law and war in the Arms Trade Treaty // Third World Quarterly. 2016. Vol. 37 (5). P. 840-865.
Shay S. The Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) // Herzliya Conference Papers. 2018. 11 p.
Межгосударственные отношения России и Саудовской Аравии // РИА Новости. URL: https://ria.ru/20180614/1522622064.html (дата обра щения: 21.09.2020).
Саудовская Аравия закупит оружие // Актуальные комментарии. URL: http://actualcomment.ru/saudovskaya_araviya_zakupit_oruzhie.html (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Первым делом - огнеметы // Российская газета. URL: https://rg.ru/2017/10/09/rossiia-postavit-v-saudovskuiu-araviiu-oruzhie-na-35-mlrd-dollarov.html (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Россия начала поставки АК-103 в Саудовскую Аравию // Российская газета. URL: https://rg.ru/2019/02/17/rossiia-nachala-postavki-ak-103-v-saudovskuiu-araviiu.html (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Россия начала поставки в Саудовскую Аравию огнеметов «Солнцепек» // Вести. URL: https://www.vestifinance.ru/articles/117625 (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Концерн «Калашников» встал на путь локализации // Коммерсант. URL: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3888976 (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
В ФСВТС заявили об обсуждении с Саудовской Аравией условий контракта на поставку С-400 // ТАСС. URL: https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/6133990 (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Пятое поколение для всех: почему Су-57 может стать хитом на рынке оружия // Российская газета. URL: https://rg.ru/2019/04/01/piatoe-pokolenie-dlia-vseh-pochemu-su-57-mozhet-stat-hitom-na-rynke-oruzhiia.html (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Germany extends ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia // DW. URL: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-extends-ban-on-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia/a-48107734 (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Вашингтон объявил о выходе из Международного договора о торговле оружием // Российская газета. URL: https://rg.ru/2019/04/26/vashington-obiavil-o-vyhode-iz-mezhdunarodnogo-dogovora-o-torgovle-oruzhiem.html (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
U.S. Blocks Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia Amid Concerns Over Yemen War // The New York Times. URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/us/politics/saudi-arabia-arms-sale-yemen-war.html (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Domestic Arms Production // Global Security. URL: https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/gulf/sa-production.html (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
IN NUMBERS: The Saudi Arabian Military Industries' plan for 2020 // Al Arabiya. URL: english.alarabiya.net/en/business/economy/ 2018/02/26/IN-NUMBERS-The-Saudi-Arabian-Military-Industries-plan-for-2020.html (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Russia and China are Seducing U.S. Allies With Cheap Weapons, Warns General Joseph Votel // Newsweek. URL: https://www.newsweek.com/general-joseph-votel-us-allies-actively-seeking-cheaper-weapons-russia-and-823325 (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Россия и Катар начали переговоры о поставках ЗРС С-400 «Триумф» // Российская газета. URL: https://rg.ru/2019/02/19/rossiia-i-katar-nachali-peregovory-o-postavkah-zrs-s-400-triumf.html (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Элемент двойной игры: возможны ли санкции США против Саудовской Аравии из-за пропавшего журналиста // RT. URL: https://russian.rt.com/world/article/564106-ssha-saudovskaya-araviya-sanktsii (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Spain's parliament backs arms sales to Saudi Arabia // Reuters. URL: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-khashoggi-spain-arms/spains-parliament-backs-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia-idUSKCN1MX2M5 (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
US Expands Russian Defense and Intelligence Sanctions, Targets Chinese Parties // White Case. Sep. 26, 2018. URL: https://www.whitecase.com/publications/alert/us-expands-russian-defense-and-intelligence-sanctions-targets-chinese-parties (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Джорджевич А. Концерн «Калашников» встал на путь локализации // Коммерсантъ. 2019. 19 фев. URL: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3888976 (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
Отношения России и Ирана движутся к стратегическому уровню, заявил Роухани // РИА Новости. 2019. 14 фев. URL: https://ria.ru/20190214/1550862821.html (дата обращения: 21.09.2020).
