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US wants to 'clarify' missile plans in Russia talks: Rice
Santiago (AFP) March 14, 2008 The United States will try to "clarify" to Russia its plans to develop an anti-missile defense system in talks next week, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday. Her two-day trip to Moscow next Monday with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates will be "to see wether or not we can clarify and develop some of the ideas that we have put on the table" concerning the system and changes to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) it would entail. She added she would also be discussing other issues causing a rift in US-Russian relations with outgoing President Vladimir Putin, including "probably Kosovo." Rice made the comments to journalists traveling with her on a flight to Chile from Brazil. On the missile plans, which Russia has fiercely criticized as a return to Cold War policies, Rice conceded that the United States would not be making any new proposals beyond what was discussed on a similar trip in October. "It's a matter now of developping the elements of that and that's we will do," she said. "They showed some interest in those proposals, and so we will go and will develop it further." Moscow opposes Washington's moves to deploy a missile defense radar in the Czech republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland by 2012 as part of a shield that US President George W. Bush says will counter a possible missile launch by Iran. Russia says it views the deployment of such a system as a threat to its security, and has warned it may target the host countries -- both former Soviet satellites -- with nuclear weapons. The Moscow trip will also be an opportunity for Rice -- a noted Kremlinologist -- to meet Putin's successor, president-elect Dmitry Medvedev. "I will be interested in hearing how he thinks about not just the future of US-Russian relations -- because he is very involved in domestic affairs in Russia -- (but) how he sees the evolution of domestic politics and economics in Russia," she said. "I did note some of the comments he did made in his speech, about greater openness in Russia. I hope that's true," she said, adding the United States wanted a "good relationship" with its former foe. Rice was to fly back to Washington later Friday, after brief talks with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Japan deploys sixth high-tech Aegis destroyer
Tokyo (AFP) March 13, 2008Japan put into service Thursday its sixth destroyer equipped with the high-tech Aegis radar system, three weeks after an identical vessel rammed and sank a tuna boat killing two fishermen. |
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