Russia and U.S. to discuss European missile shield at G8 summit

[News_Editor]

Russia and U.S. to discuss European missile shield at G8 summit

2011-05-16 22:18:27 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOSCOW (BNO NEWS) -- Russia and the United States are expected to discuss the missile shield in Europe during the forthcoming G8 summit in late May, missile shield, Russian envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said on Monday.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama will both attend the summit and are expected to address the issue during the event that will take place in Deauville, France.

"Russia needs credible guarantees that a U.S. missile defense system in Europe will not be directed against us," said Rogozin. "There is no rush. We are ready to wait."

Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabko said that Moscow is concerned by the U.S. refusal to provide legally binding guarantees that the planned missile defense system will not be directed against it.

"The United States are insisting on the importance of launching practical cooperation without any preconditions," added Ryabko. "Russia cannot start cooperation on specific projects without legal guarantees."

In November 2010, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced that Russia agreed to explore ways to cooperate on a missile defense system during the Russia-NATO Council summit in Lisbon.

The missile network was proposed by the United States and is expected to include two independent systems that exchange information but Russia wants a joint system with full-scale interoperability.

Russia also opposed to the planned deployment of U.S. missile defense systems near its borders, claiming they would be a security threat. The U.S.-NATO missile shield will defend NATO members against missiles from North Korea and Iran.

The Russian Space Forces said in April that Russia proposed creating a network of defenses divided in sectors where each member state or coalition of states will assume responsibility for intercepting and destroying missiles over such assigned territory.

Furthermore, the Russian government said it is ready to provide a missile shield over Eastern Europe, the Black Sea, the Barents Sea and the Baltic Sea using such system that Moscow considers it to be logical and efficient.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-16