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Russia Rebuffs US Overtures
On Missile Shield
Jim
Mannion
AFP
Tuesday April 23, 2007
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates offered Russia cooperation on
missile defence activities Monday but was rebuffed by Moscow who
said a planned US missile shield was "seriously destabilising".
Nevertheless, Gates said he remained "cautiously optimistic"
after meetings with President Vladimir Putin, First Deputy Prime
Minister Sergei Ivanov and Defence Minister Anatoly Serdukov.
Both sides agreed to continue discussions on US proposals for cooperation
on missile defense research and development, missile warning data
and joint operations.
Gates even held out the possibility of co-locating a radar with
the Russians.
"I think we are beginning to get down to specific issues of
concern to Russia, and I believe the experts will clear up any misunderstandings
as well as address Russian concerns," he told reporters.
Gates' upbeat view contrasted with a statement read by the Russian
defence minister saying Russia's position on the US missile shield
"remains unchanged".
"We believe the strategic missile defence system is a seriously
destabilising factor that can have a significant influence on regional
and global security," Serdyukov said, speaking through an official
interpreter.
Moscow was Gates' first stop on a European trip to try to ease
tensions aroused by US plans to establish missile defence sites
in Europe, to counter what Washington views as a growing missile
threat from Iran.
Russia in particular has adamantly opposed plans to station 10
interceptor missiles in Poland and a targeting radar in the Czech
Republic, countries that lie close to Russian territory and were
once under Moscow's control.
Gates said he believed Serdyukov's rebuff was prepared before their
hour-long meeting and did not reflect the tone of the discussions.
"One of the concerns that we are going to have to address
and work with them over time is their concern that someday in the
future, at some distant point a few years from now, the character
of these sites might change, and in fact become a greater concern
in terms of Russian strategic security," Gates said.
He said that might involve placing restrictions on missile defence
sites.
The Russians also voiced concern about the US deployment of conventional
intercontinental ballistic missiles, Gates said.
But the talks focused mainly on missile defence and a US proposal
for cooperation presented to the Russians last week at a NATO meeting.
The United States was "willing to explore cooperation with
Russia across the full spectrum of missile defence activities",
Gates said.
"We could potentially work together to explore new concepts
and technologies, conduct research and development on missile defence
systems and components, to share early warning data, to promote
stability and to improve the capacity of our forces to conduct successful
cooperative missile defence operations during peacekeeping and other
joint military activities," he said.
He told reporters later that he invited the Russians to inspect
the US missile defence site at Fort Greely, Alaska, and a radar
in California similar to the one proposed for the Czech Republic.
"We would like to have the Russians as partners in this process.
We would like to share information with them, we are prepared to
co-locate radars with them. We think there are some real opportunities
here for both sides," he said.
Gates will visit Warsaw on Tuesday to brief Polish leaders on his
talks here and will also make a brief stop in Berlin.
The missile defence issue has threatened to divide Washington's
traditional allies.
Germany has said Washington must work to ease Russian concerns,
while the Czech Republic and Poland have said Moscow has no right
to interfere.
US officials travelling with Gates said that while they believed
cooperation was in both countries' interest, Russia would not have
a veto on the issue of missile defence.
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