The Bush administration expressed its deep concern Monday over Russia's plan to sale arms to Iran and called the move "counterproductive."
"With regard to Iran, we are particularly concerned about sales of advanced conventional weapons or sensitive technologies, things like nuclear missile technology, and that will be an area of particular concern with the United States," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.
"The issue of proliferation and the issue of Russian proliferation activities is a top-priority issue for this administration. It's one the United States has raised frequently with the Russians in the past, and one that we will continue to raise into the future," Boucher said.
"We think it's particularly counterproductive for the Russians to sell things in their neighborhood and in areas that affect us as well, that might threaten us all," he added.
(Xinhua 03/13/2001)