- Title: GEORGIA: US won't put revisied missile defence system within non-NATO territory
- Date: 21st October 2009
- Summary: TBILISI, GEORGIA (OCTOBER 20, 2009) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR GEORGIA'S GOVERNMENT BUILDING DELEGATION HEADED BY THE U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENCE ALEXANDER VERSHBOW WALKING TOWARDS MEETING ROOM US AND GEORGIAN DELEGATIONS DURING MEETING OF SPECIAL GROUP WORKING ON SECURITY ISSUES VERSHBOW ADDRESSING GEORGIAN SIDE MEETING IN PROGRESS GEORGIAN MILITARY LISTENING MAN CLOSING DOOR OF MEETING ROOM VERSHBOW AND GEORGIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER GIGA BOKERIA WALKING INTO ROOM TO MEET MEDIA MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ALEXANDER VERSHBOW SAYING: "We are consulting within NATO on president Obama's new plan for ballistic missile defence in Europe." WIDE OF PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) US ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ALEXANDER VERSHBOW SAYING: "We are not consulting with any non-NATO countries and we do not envisage the implacement of elements of our new architecture on the territory of non-(NATO) member states." OFFICIALS AND MEDIA LISTENING TO QUESTION ASKED (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ALEXANDER VERSHBOW SAYING: "We began some preliminary discussions with Russia about possible contributions it could make with it sown assets to cooperative missile defence, but these discussions are in yearly stage." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ALEXANDER VERSHBOW SAYING: "We have a long legacy of cooperation in the security field and security cooperation is one way that we can support Georgia's sovereignty and independence and its Euro - Atlantic aspirations and to promote stability in the region." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 5th November 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Georgia
- Country: Georgia
- Topics: International Relations,Defence / Military
- Reuters ID: LVA7GALW3Z07GHY8GSZIBEC7KJYD
- Story Text: The United States does not envisage placing any elements of a revised missile defence system within non-NATO states and is not in consultations with any such states, a senior U.S. defence official said on Tuesday (October 20).
The comments by U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defence Alexander Vershbow followed concern expressed in Russia last week at reports Washington was in talks with Ukraine over a revised defence shield.
"We are consulting within NATO on President Obama's new plan for ballistic missile defence in Europe. We are not consulting with any non-NATO countries and we do not envisage the implacement of elements of our new architecture on the territory of non-(NATO) member states," Vershbow told reporters in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.
Russia has welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to scrap Bush-era plans for a missile defence system in central Europe, but voiced concern last week over a U.S. statement that countries like Ukraine could contribute early warning information as part of a revised shield plan.
The administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush had planned to deploy interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic to repel potential attacks from Iran.
Under Obama's new plans, sea and land-based missile interceptors would be deployed in Europe and the system would not require one large fixed radar centre in Europe.
Vershbow said Washington was in consultations with Russia over missile-defence.
"We began some preliminary discussions with Russia about possible contributions it could make with it sown assets to cooperative missile defence, but these discussions are in yearly stage," Vershbow said.
Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Oleh Shamshur, was quoted by Russian news agencies last week as saying that talks with Washington on the use of radar stations had already begun.
Though Vershbow confirmed that US supports Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"We have a long legacy of cooperation in the security field and security cooperation is one way that we can support Georgia's sovereignty and independence and its Euro - Atlantic aspirations and to promote stability in the region," Vershbow said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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