Moammar Kadafi makes first post-Soviet trip to Russia

"Unfortunately, in the past our relations have been mostly focused on military cooperation and politics," Kadafi said as he met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. "There was no cooperation in the civilian sectors. Now, the Russian companies have already begun to work in various sectors of the Libyan economy. We consider especially important our cooperation in oil and gas spheres."

But Kremlin sources and experts alike agree that Kadafi came to Moscow not only to seek cooperation on energy but also to reach an agreement on buying Russian weapons to boost Libya's defenses.

The Russian Interfax agency quoted unnamed Kremlin sources Friday as saying that Libya is interested in buying anti-aircraft missile systems, two squadrons of fighter jets and a variety of other military hardware, including a diesel submarine.

A spokesman for Russian state weapons exporter Rosoboronexport, Vyacheslav Davidenko, neither confirmed nor denied the report. "The military cooperation between Libya and Russia has always existed," Davidenko said. "It is continuing now, but I can't disclose the amount or the sums involved."

Kadafi, whom President Reagan once called a "mad dog," has also reached out to the United States. The Bush administration restored full diplomatic ties with Libya in 2006, rewarding the longtime foe for giving up terrorism and unconventional weapons. And in September, Kadafi welcomed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to his high-security personal compound in Tripoli, the Libyan capital.

Russian defense expert Alexander Golts said that Kadafi, like Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez before him, is trying to take advantage of the rift in Russian-U.S. relations, in the wake of Russia's incursion into Georgia, to beef up his military muscle.

"It is clear that the so-called rogue states . . . are trying to use the recent dramatic split in Russian-U.S. relations over the recent war in Georgia for their own ends," Golts said.

He pointed out that Libya may profit more from the situation than Russia and the United States would really like: "In a situation when in the heat of the growing confrontation Russia and the United States are beginning to increasingly flirt with Libya, it is quite possible that the tail may wag the dog."

Loiko is a Times staff writer.

sergei.loiko@latimes.com