Tehran, Jul 13 (IANS): The Iranian Foreign Ministry has said that the technological cooperation between Iran and Russia dates back to the days before the Ukrainian crisis.

Nasser Kanaani, the ministry's spokesman, made the remarks when asked about US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's claim that Iran is preparing to provide Russia with hundreds of drones, including weapons-capable ones, Xinhua news agency reported.

Iran's stance on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which broke out in late February, is "absolutely clear and has been declared time and again officially", he noted.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said recently that the Ukrainian crisis is rooted in the expansion of the NATO, a Western military alliance, toward Russia's borders and its provocations against Moscow.

"Ukraine's crisis should be resolved through the course of dialogue and negotiation," the minister said.

Kanaani also accused the United States and European states of turning countries, including some in West Asia, into "an arsenal of their diverse lethal arms."