U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (left) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meet for talks in Moscow in May 2007.
Photo: Dmitry Dukhanin
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US Turns Down Russia’s Missile Shield Offer
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Saturday turned down Moscow’s offer of a joint missile shield in Europe and confirmed intentions to pursue its own plans to put a missile defense in Eastern Europe. This has become the first official rejection of President Vladimir Putin’s offer to deploy joint missile facilities in Azerbaijan and southern Russia.
“I think the Russians, after a period now of just saying no, no, no to what we intend to do in terms of missile defense, decided to come up with some of their own ideas,” Condoleezza Rice said in an interview with CNBC on Saturday. “Now, we don't agree; we believe that we still need to continue to move forward with the Czech Republic and with Poland.”
The statement came days after Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George Bush addressed the issue at a summit in the U.S. state of Maine. Vladimir Putin suggested to Mr. Bush that the United States use a Russian-controlled radar in Azerbaijan, near the Iranian border, instead of putting a shield in Europe. The Russian leader also offered to use another radar in Armavir in southern Russia.
The U.S. Secretary of Stated added, however, that anti-missile defense could still be an area where “U.S.-Russian cooperation could make a gigantic leap forward.” She did not specify, though, what the cooperation may involve.
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov reiterated Russia’s vehement opposition to America’s missile plans. Mr. Ivanov said the European missile shield would be a threat to Russia’s security as the U.S. radar would be aimed at Russia, monitoring its territory up to the Urals Mountains. He reminded that if Russian offers are not accepted, the Kremlin would consider deploying new rocket units in the European part of the country including the westernmost region of Kaliningrad.
Among other things, Moscow is proposing creating a unified missile defense system by 2020 with equal access to the system’s controls for all parties involved.
Russian and U.S. top military officials are to meet in Moscow this fall to discuss missile defense plans.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of July 09, 2007
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