Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon urged Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday not to sell anti-aircraft missiles to Syria, Israel's neighboring arch foe, officials said.

The sources said Sharon told Putin during a "long and friendly"telephone call that a missile deal under negotiation with Syria "endangers Israel and (Palestinian National Authority Chairman) Mahmoud Abbas" and should be stopped.

It is the first direct contact since Israel raised objections earlier this month to a possible Russian sale of advanced Igla SA-18 missiles to Syria.

Israel demanded the deal be canceled, arguing the shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles could disrupt stability if they fell into the hands of Syrian-supported Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov has denied reports in theIsraeli and Russian media that Moscow was negotiating a missiledeal with Syria.

Sharon, himself of Russian descent, has visited Moscow threetimes since taking office in 2001. He has repeatedly asked Putin to act against what Israel called a covert Iranian nuclear arms program and to pressure Syria to rein in its Hezbollah and Palestinian proxies.

Source: Xinhua

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