TEHRAN Russia announced last month that it intends to renew arms negotiations with Iran, rejecting a five-year-old accord with Washington that banned conventional arms sales to Iran.

Under the 1995 agreement, Russia agreed to end all scheduled exports of tanks and other battlefield weapons to Iran by December 31, 1999, and not to enter into new contracts.

It later brushed aside a U.S. warning that Moscow could face economic sanctions if it went ahead with supplying military hardware to Iran.

The Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev is to visit Iran soon. In the meantime the two sides are making preparations for President Mohammad Khatami's visit to Moscow and talks are also underway on new agreements worth billions of dollars.

At this point in time there is a matter of concern for Iran. Will Russia take advantage of Iran's renewed trust? Will it once again undermine Iran's interests, and continue its policy of blackmailing Iran and the U.S.?

Will Russia continue its unstable and changing stance on the Caspian Sea and the construction of the Bushehr Power Plant of Iran?

To find the answer to these questions, the TEHRAN TIMES decided to contact the Russian Embassy in Tehran.

However, after making excuses, the embassy officials did not agree to face-to-face or telephone interviews but said the reporter could only send three written questions to the ambassador.

The questions were written and sent to the embassy through fax, but after a few days when the reporter contacted the embassy, the officials again made excuses and this time refused any interview. They said the ambassador is now not willing to give an interview.

Such treatment is certainly insulting and unfair. While criticizing this act, the TEHRAN TIMES reminds the Russian Embassy that embassies should respond to questions regarding the measures taken by their governments.