Russia made efforts to underline its friendly relations with Israel while balancing its geostrategic interests in relations with Iran as the outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Yehudi Olmert visited Moscow to meet with President Dmitri Medvedev on Tuesday.

"We dealt with weapons sales, or the possibility of weapons sales," Olmert was quoted as saying after the Kremlin meeting. "The highest levels of Russian government understand well the Israeli position and are aware of the ramifications that such sales would have on stability in the region."

Moscow, however, wants to play a "constructive role" in the Middle East, Medvedev was quoted as saying. "Our relations are developing well and consistently and this is one of the key factors of settlement in the Middle East," Medvedev told Olmert during the Israeli leader's visit here, according to the presidential site. 

"Russia will continue in the future to play a constructive and active role in this process."

Israel is concerned that Russia could sell its enemies, Iran and Syria, advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems. That would make any strike at Iran's first nuclear power plant - which Russia is helping to build - more difficult.

While Russia underscored the importance of relations with Israel, Olmert said there were no promises of sanctions against Iran or on the arms sales. Russia has been against imposing more U.N. sanctions on Iran, and Olmert did not say that had changed. Medvedev said "he opposes a nuclear Iran" and expressed "sharp criticism" of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's fiery rhetoric toward Israel, Olmert said.

Olmert said he discussed Georgia with Medvedev, but offered few details, saying only that Medvedev said he "appreciates Israel's careful and responsible stance during the Caucasus crisis."

A statement posted on the Kremlin's presidential site cited Medvedev as lauding the economic ties between the two countries, which were founded on a "firm base." The Russian President also praised the Israeli government's decision to returning a czarist-era Jerusalem building - the Sergei Courtyard - to Russian ownership.

Medvedev reportedly told Olmert, who invited him to Jerusalem, that he had not been to the city for a long time and that he would enjoy a visit.

Russia has generally friendly relations with Israel, despite its friendly ties with Iran, where it is helping the Islamic state build the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

"We consider Israel a friendly country and we have good, sound relations although we were concerned by their military aide to Georgia," Sergei Karaganov, head of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, told The Moscow News. "We have underlined that we don't want weapons proliferation in Iran. But we are not interested in ostracizing Iran either."

Olmert did not meet with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who was celebrating his 56th birthday Tuesday, but Karaganov suggested this was not mandated by protocol.

Combined Reports The Moscow News, AP