TEHRAN Russia plans to sell more than 570 T72-C tanks and more than 1,000 armored vehicles to Iran based on a contract signed before Moscow froze arms sales to Iran in a 1995 secret agreement with Washington, the Russian news agency RIA said Tuesday.

Quoting Russian Defense Ministry sources, the agency said the Russian government also plans to provide parts and components for Soviet-made MiG-29 and Sukhoi-24MK fighters used by the Iranian military.

The reported transactions came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would resume the sale of conventional weapons to Iran.

Putin made the call after a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Khatami in Moscow where the two leaders sealed an agreement to boost bilateral strategic relations. Khatami started a landmark four-day state visit to Moscow on Monday.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov said Monday that Iran is interested in acquiring Russia's advanced S-300 antiaircraft missiles, according to a Russian Interfax report.

Russia's leaders have turned a blind eye to a rebuke from Iran's arch-foe, the United States, on Tuesday, accusing critics of "misjudging attempts to reinforce stability in the region."

The remarks, issued as President Khatami toured Russian space facilities, were a response to Washington's warning to limit military cooperation that the Kremlin says it will pursue on economic and political grounds.

Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, quoted by Russian news agencies, said Western countries had ignored the political side of Khatami's visit, including a major political treaty.

"Relations between Russia and Iran are not directed against third countries. On the contrary, they are intended to stabilize the situation in the region where our countries cooperate."

As Khatami's visit began on Monday, President Vladimir Putin set the tone by saying Russia would proceed with sales of conventional arms to Iran, and finish building a nuclear power plant. He said arms supplied would be strictly defensive.

The United States on Monday urged Russia not to provide Iran with advanced conventional weapons or sensitive military technologies when it resumes its controversial arms sales.

The U.S. State Department, commenting on Russian President Putin's offer to sell Iran defensive weapons, said it would be a matter of "great concern" if the two categories of weapons ended up in the hands of Iran.

Putin served notice to the United States on Monday that he planned to go ahead with selling arms to Iran and to complete construction there of a nuclear power plant.

Russia had refrained from such sales under a secret agreement with the United States struck in 1995, but last year it said it would no longer abide by the deal.

The United States has repeatedly complained to Russia about the transfer of missile and nuclear technologies to Iran, sometimes apparently without the government's approval.

In a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Ivanov here Wednesday, Khatami called for regional convergence among Caspian littoral states and shunning presence of alien forces in the region.

"Regional countries should take up the responsibility for the establishment of security in the region and disappoint aliens from their presence," he said.

Khatami described convergence among regional countries as the key to peace and progress in the region, saying they should also work closely together to come up with a formula for the exploitation of the Caspian resources.

Khatami stressed that close Russo-Iranian ties was not to the prejudice of any third country.

Ivanov, for his part, described Khatami's Moscow visit as historical and a new chapter in the two countries relations, saying Iran and Russia's stances on a variety of regional and international issues were close and that their bilateral ties could enormously help establish peace and security in the region.

Ivanov criticized Western media and its political analysts for their stance toward President Khatami's visit of Russia, saying they were trying to mar Tehran-Moscow ties through aggrandizing the two countries' resumption of technical and military cooperation.

According to the Russian FM, the two sides had reached agreements on a variety of subjects including cooperation in plane industries, development of gas and oil fields as well as construction of power plants.

In an address to the State Duma on Wednesday President Khatami said on Wednesday that the multilateral cooperation between Iran and Russia poses no threat to others.

He said that Iran and Russia have key parts in peace and security and the economic development of the region and are capable of speeding up the process of progress, peace and economic development of the regional states.

The president made it clear that the process of political, economic, scientific, educational, industrial and defensive cooperation with Russia after the Islamic Revolution has been constructive in Iran's bid to get rid of the U.S. influence.

"What can really be regarded as a threat to the region is the presence of foreign and interventionist forces in the region," President Khatami said.

Prior to the president's remarks, State Duma Speaker Gennady Seleznyev welcomed Khatami. The State Duma MPs applauded him several times while delivering his speech.

Khatami was also awarded an honorary degree in philosophy here Tuesday from the state Moscow University.

The dean of the Moscow University said the award was a token of acknowledgement for Khatami's "valuable role" in the fields of science and philosophy through his books.

Khatami thanked the Presiding Board of the university for "being accepted as a member of the Moscow University which has over 200 years of experience in the fields of science and research and training prominent scientists".

The Head of Iran-Russia Friendship Association, Vladimir Ivanov described Khatami's Moscow visit a "turning point" for the youth and students to learn Persian in Russia.

He said more than 100 Russian students had been dispatched to Iran to attend Persian language courses in recent years.

Khatami's four-day visit to Russia, the first by an Iranian leader since the Shah toured Russia in 1974, is aimed at expanding trade and technical cooperation with Russia.

In his speech to the Muslim community at Moscow's Central Mosque after prayers with (Moscow religious leader) Mufti Ravil Eynudin, he thanked the Russian government for respecting religious freedoms in Russia.

He said that after the collapse of the former Soviet Union the people enjoy freedom in holding religious rituals.

He said that Muslims and followers of other religions should observe coexistence with Orthodox Christians and work for development and progress of Russia.

"Religions have a unique root and that's belief in God and a real believer is the one who loves science, kindness and justice. If we recognize religion as supporter of democracy, science and technology, then it would be the best service to religion," he said.

Meanwhile, Iranian and Russian defense ministers on Monday reviewed regional security as well as the present situation and prospect of bilateral military cooperation between the two countries.

Iran and Russia, with their military cooperation, are not violating international commitments on nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction or their launching, the Russian Defense Ministry announced after the meeting.

Tehran-Moscow ties on armaments only include usual defense equipment, the report added.

Meanwhile, President Khatami told the academicians of the International Relations University of Moscow that "sufferings, lies and discriminations are outstanding features of the contemporary society and the way the West treats the Palestinians is an outstanding example of this reality. They claim that the Jews have been subject to injustices and take revenge of the Western Nazis from the oppressed Palestinians in the Middle East. They push millions of innocent people out of their homeland and do not allow their repatriation."

"I do not consider the situation worthy of human beings and believe that the world should be improved and fundamentals of life and relations in the world should be changed," Khatami said.

Khatami also held a question and answer session with academicians of the International Relations University of Moscow where he said his idea of dialogue among civilizations was based on this approach toward wisdom and logic.

Khatami also inspected on Tuesday the Russian International Space Station (ISS).

During the inspection tour to the Space Control Center (TSUP) at Korolyov near Moscow on the second day of his four-day state visit to Russia, Khatami was briefed on the activities of different sections of the center.

President Khatami also visited two rooms, from where space-controllers direct Mir and the ISS.

Also, on the first day of his four-day state visit, Khatami was received on Monday by Alexy II, the Russian Orthodox patriarch.

Khatami on Wednesday left Moscow for St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, while Russian Deputy Prime Minister Victor Kharistinko saw him off at the airport.