BELGIUM/RUSSIA: NATO says reported U.S. change of plan on missile defence in Europe is positive

Record ID: 1537087

  • Title: BELGIUM/RUSSIA: NATO says reported U.S. change of plan on missile defence in Europe is positive
  • Date: 18th September 2009
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (SEPTEMBER 17, 2009) (REUTERS FOR AGENCY POOL) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN STEPPING OUT OF CAR AT VAL DUCHESSE CASTLE BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER HERMAN VAN ROMPUY WAITING RASMUSSEN BEING GREETED BY VAN ROMPUY DELEGATION ENTERS BUILDING RASMUSSEN AND VAN ROMPUY AT NEWS BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN ON MISSILE DEFENCE SAYING "I had a talk with the American ambassador to NATO this morning and its my clear impression that the American plans on missile defence will involve NATO, as such, to a higher degree in the future concerning the establishment of missile defence. I highly appreciate that, I think it is in full accordance with the principle of solidarity within the alliance and the indivisibility of security in Europe" BELGIAN DEFENCE MINISTER PETER DE CREM AND BELGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER YVES LETERME (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN ON MISSILE DEFENCE SAYING "This is my initial assessment that this is a positive step in the direction of an inclusive and transparent process which I also think is in the interest of our eastern allies within the NATO alliance" RASMUSSEN AND VAN ROMPUY AT BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN SAYING "We need to develop the capacity of the Afghan security forces and therefore we need trainers and resources for the NATO training mission in Afghanistan and I urge all allies to contribute significantly to this training mission in Afghanistan because this will be at the core of our strategy for the coming months and years" VAN ROMPUY AT LUNCH RASMUSSEN AT LUNCH MOSCOW, RUSSIA(SEPTEMBER 17, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF KREMLIN CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT EXPERT VLADIMIR DVORKIN TALKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CARNEGIE FOUNDATION ANALYST VLADIMIR DVORKIN, SAYING "It is difficult to talk about significant changes in Russian - U.S relations until an official decision is taken, we can only say now that this will remove a serious obstacle for signing a new agreement by December of this year which will replace the START - 1 agreement, ending on December 5th of this year." BOOKS ON SHELF
  • Embargoed: 3rd October 2009 04:01
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations,Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVAAVTU20FJ0P4PDB510TSK9MO6K
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in Brussels on Thursday (September 17) he had spoken to United States officials about the controversial U.S. missile defence programme which involves sites in Poland and the Czech Republic and led to an angry ripostes from Russia.
    But he did not comment directly on the reports that Washington is backing away from the missile defence project.
    Rasmussen was meeting Belgium's Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy, who was to hold talks with NATO on the country's contribution in Afghanistan.
    The NATO Secrteray-General said during his talks with the American ambassador to NATO earlier in the day he had gained a clear impression that American plans on missile defence would involve NATO to a higher degree in the future.
    "I highly appreciate that, I think it is in full accordance with the principle of solidarity within the alliance and the indivisibility of security in Europe," said Rasmussen.
    He said closer integration on missile defence would be 'a positive step' and one in the interests of former East bloc allies within the NATO alliance.
    U.S. President Barack Obama has told east European states he was backing away from plans for an anti-missile shield there, in a move that may ease Russian-U.S. ties but fuels fears of resurgent Kremlin influence.
    The shield, involving interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar complex in the Czech republic, was promoted by Obama's predecessor George W. Bush to defend against any missile launches from "rogue" states such as Iran and North Korea.
    Poland and the Czech Republic are among the countries from eastern and central Europe which joined NATO after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
    NATO has been developing plans for defence against short- to medium-range missiles and has in the past cooperated with Russia to ensure such systems can work with each other.
    Washington has said the plans for the Czech Republic and Poland were intended to defend against the possibility of a missile attack on Europe by a country such as Iran. NATO had been considering mvoes to complement the U.S. system to extend the area protected.
    Dropping plans to station anti-missile systems in former Soviet bloc states would ease NATO's efforts to boost security ties with Russia, which Rasmussen again said was a priority for the alliance.
    On Afghanistan, Rasmussen urged allied nations once more to step up contributions to help build a credible security force.
    "We need to develop the capacity of the Afghan security forces and therefore we need trainers and resources for the NATO training mission in Afghanistan and I urge all allies to contribute significantly to this training mission in Afghanistan because this will be at the core of our strategy for the coming months and years," he said.
    In Moscow, a Russian analyst said on Thursday that U.S. decision to back away from plans for a missile shield in Europe removes the main obstacle to progress in arms reduction with Moscow.
    "It is difficult to talk about significant changes in Russian - U.S relations until an official decision is taken, we can only say now that this will remove a serious obstacle for signing a new agreement by December of this year which will replace the START - 1 agreement, ending on December 5th of this year," said Vladimir Dvorkin, analyst at Moscow's Carnegie Foundation.
    The Obama administration wants to "reset" battered ties with Russia so that the two former Cold War foes can cooperate on Iran, on fighting Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan and on reducing their vast arsenals of nuclear weapons.
    Washington is also seeking Russian support in economic sanctions against Tehran, which it accuses of developing nuclear weapons.
    Dvorkin said Washington had other options for defence against the threat of Iran.
    "The U.S. considers alternative options for the defence against the threat from Iran in Europe, among their options are a sea-based anti-missile system called 'Aegis' with Standard 3 anti-missile rockets and also a ground-based anti-missile system called TKHAT - these systems could be used against Iranian's long-range missiles,' he said.
    Russia is allowing the United States to move trains carrying supplies for U.S. forces across the country via Central Asia to Afghanistan, avoiding routes through Pakistan that had come under frequent attack from the Taliban.
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