Moscow: Moscow was aware of transfer of nuclear technology by Pakistan to other countries and is to closely interact with New Delhi to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their falling in the wrong hands, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov has said.

"I would leave for my namesake (Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov) to make any public statement on this as the investigations are under way. At least it was neither unexpected nor a surprise for me," Ivanov said commenting on recent media reports of Pakistani scientists proliferating nuclear secrets to Libya and Iran.

Ivanov, who begins his three-day visit to New Delhi tomorrow (Jan 19, 2004), said proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) has posed a threat and issues of regional and global security would be high on his agenda during his parleys with the Indian leadership.

"The proliferation of WMD is one of the most dangerous threats and both Russia and India have a common views on this. We cannot let the WMD-nuclear, chemical or biological, fall into the hands of rogue or I would say 'irresponsible' states and terrorists," Ivanov told Moscow-based Indian journalists here in an interview.

Besides parleys with Defence Minister George Fernandes, Ivanov is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra on a wide range of issues including defence and security of the two nations in the changing world scenario.