Reuters on Wednesday reported from Moscow that Greek DM Panos Kammenos is negotiating the purchase of missiles for the S-300 long-range anti-aircraft system originally bought for Cyprus but then shipped to Greece more than a decade ago.

The international news agency quotes the Russian agency RIA.

According to the report, a deal for the system’s maintenance is also being discussed.

NATO member Greece has based the top Soviet/Russian air defence system, which includes long-range radars, on the large island of Crete. The system was received by the Greek military after western pressure and Turkish sabre-rattling prevented the Republic of Cyprus from proceeding with the acquisition of the system in the late 1990s.

“We are limiting ourselves to a replacement of missiles (for the systems),” RIA quoted Kammenos as saying.

The Greek DM is in Moscow for a security conference, although he met with his Russian counterpart earlier on Wednesday. During tjat meeting, he expressed a view that EU sanctions against Russia were counterproductive.

“There are negotiations between Russia and Greece on the maintenance of the systems … as well as for the purchase of new missiles for the S-300 systems,” he added.

No further details, especially on the financial aspects of any prospective deal, were released.

Kammenos’ visit comes a week after Greek PM Alexis Tsipras completed an official two-day visit to the Moscow, including a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.

In later comments from Moscow carried by Greece’s state-run news agency, Kammenos said confirmed that Athens was looking to replace “expired” missiles and a contract for the system’s “technical support”.