US Missile Defence Shield: Russian, US Discussions Held
Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, stated on the 18th March that an agreement with the US on the Missile Defence Shield remained unattained.
Russia, he said, was still opposed to the notion of the Czech Republic and Poland hosting elements of the shield, which is intended to thwart attacks by “rogue states” such as Iran or North Korea.
However, US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, emphasised that that US/Russian cooperation was ongoing on a number of issues.
Yesterday, Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, had commented on how improved US/Russian relations might develop. He said that his US equivalent, George W. Bush, had provided him with what he termed a “serious document” – the content of which could assist in sorting out several problems – missile defence among them.
Russia Still Opposed to Missile Shield
Following discussions with both Rice and with Robert Gates, the US Defence Secretary, Lavrov stated that the US had again spoken of its plans to set the shield up, adding that Russia was still opposed to it.
He added, however: "The American side, as far as we understand, has heeded our concerns.
"We agreed to continue consultations to study the proposals received today."
As far as Rice was concerned, the talks had been “useful”.
"When we have differences, we can talk about them in an atmosphere of mutual respect", she said.
Interceptor Missiles for Poland, Radar for Czech Republic
Within the shield’s defences, Poland would host ten interceptor missiles, while the Czech Republic would host radar facilities.
Yesterday, Gates had intimated that the US and Russia could forge a deal on the Missile Defence Shield before January next year.
"The environment in our meetings was positive", he said.
"Whether that leads to a positive conclusion remains to be seen."
Source – Armed Forces International’s East European Correspondent
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