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US, NATO employ double standards in arms sales, says Russian security official

The Western countries push for transparency in sales of advanced weapons, on the one hand, and then boost uninterrupted supplies of weapons to hotspots around the world, on the other hand, Security Council Deputy Secretary Yury Kokov noted

MOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. The US and NATO have employed double standards even in arms sales, championing transparency and supplying advanced hi-tech weaponry to conflict zones, a senior Russian Security Council official said Wednesday.

The situation is all the more worrisome as terrorists are now pursuing advanced weapons, Security Council Deputy Secretary Yury Kokov said at a meeting with heads of foreign diplomatic missions in Moscow.

"Unfortunately, double standards have been employed in this segment, given that the US and NATO push for transparency in sales of such kinds of weapons, on the one hand, and then boost uninterrupted supplies of weapons to hotspots around the world, on the other hand," said Kokov, pointing to Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine.

Arms producing nations need to establish an effective production, storage and inventory control system for such weapons, he said.

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United States NATO

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