April 20 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the U.S. is ``concerned'' about some Russian arms sales in Latin America and Venezuela. The Russian government says they are in line with international agreements.

Rice, who arrived in Russia yesterday for talks with the country's leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, has already met with Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. She's visiting Russia ahead of President George W. Bush's trip to the country May 9.

``We have made it very clear to the Russian government our concerns about certain arms sales in Latin America and Venezuela,'' Rice said at a press briefing after two hours of talks with Lavrov in Moscow today. ``And we will continue to raise concerns about arms sales when we have them.''

Venezuela signed a $120 million contract for Russian military helicopters that includes attack, assault and transport aircraft last month. The purchases are the largest for the country's armed forces since Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez took office in 1999.

Rice said the sales are ``having to do with issues of stability in Venezuela.'' U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on March 23 that Venezuela's plans to acquire up to 100,000 Russian assault rifles is bad for the region and raises questions about the purpose of the weapons.

``Our military cooperation with Venezuela and with other countries doesn't contradict any obligations we've assumed internationally,'' Russia's Lavrov said today.

The arms are intended to beef up security along the Colombian border where kidnappings and armed incursions by Colombian irregulars are common, Venezuela's information ministry said.

Venezuela is also studying the purchase of Russian MIG-29s, the Russian press has reported.

To contact the reporter on this story: Halia Pavliva in Kiev at hpavliva@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: April 20, 2005 07:27 EDT