Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, right, and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, left, are shown during the talks in Moscow.
Photo: Dmitry Dukhanin
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U.S. Suggests Putting Off Expansion of Missile Defense System in Europe
The United States proposed to Russia to suspend expansion of the missile defense system in Eastern Europe until both states acknowledge the existence of Iran’s threat.
According to The Financial Times, the respective proposal was made by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who met with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow October 12.
But the previous reports of the media were different. No agreement was reached on deployment of missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, Lavrov announced straight after he talked to Rice. As to Condoleezza Rice, she urged the United States to immediately proceed to expanding the missile defense system to Europe, as they had underestimated the threat of Iran.
Putin went to Tehran October 16 to attend the summit of the Caspian Sea states. There, he agreed on completing construction of Bushehr Nuclear Plant and that Russia will host the economic conference of the Caspian nations in 2008. Moreover, the leaders also pledged not to provide the soil of their countries to other states, should some combat operations or the war be unleashed against one of the Caspian countries.
www.kommersant.com
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