MOSCOW, September 17. /TASS/. Australia's acquisition of technologies for producing nuclear-powered submarines may create issues for the nuclear non-proliferation system, Russian Permanent Envoy to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov told the Rossiya-24 TV channel on Friday.

"Why exactly does Australia need to acquire these sensitive technologies? There is no reasonable explanation. At the same time, it is a fact that it can create problems for the nuclear non-proliferation regime on a global scale," he pointed out.

On September 16, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States announced the formation of a new security partnership to be known as AUKUS. Australia particularly plans to use US technologies to build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines, the first of which will become operational in 2036, as well as to equip its armed forces with US-made cruise missiles.

Canberra’s plan breaks an earlier defense contract inked with France, the biggest in Australia's history. Paris has slammed the move as "a stab in the back." China, in turn, warned that the creation of the AUKUS partnership would speed up the arms race, and called on the three member countries to abandon "the mentality of the Cold War era" and "narrow-minded geopolitical concepts".