The Bush administration still wants to hold talks with Moscow over the deployment of missile defense system in Europe, said U.S. State Department Monday.
"We want to be clear and say that we remain interested in talking to Russia about missile defense and that they have nothing to fear from our missile defense system that we would like to set up in Europe," said Robert Wood, deputy spokesman for the department.
Acting Undersecretary of State John Rood to meet with his Russian counterparts soon, according to the spokesman, the two sides are expected to discuss the controversial missile defense issue.
"We encourage the Russians very strongly to engage with us on missile defense," Wood said.
The remarks came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's toning down the U.S. expectation.
After meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sunday in Egypt, Lavrov said Russia hoped for constructive talks with the administration led by president-elect Barack Omaba on the missile defense issue.
The Bush administration has tried to convince Moscow that the U.S. missile defense system in Europe was aimed at preventing from so-called rogue countries, but not targeted at Russia.
Citing the U.S. plans to install a radar spray in Czech and missile interceptors in Poland threaten Rissia's security, the Medvedev-led government has decided to station tactical missiles in its Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad bordering Poland.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article