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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Nato chief dismisses Russia fears | Nato chief dismisses Russia fears |
| (1 day later) | |
| Nato's chief has discounted concerns in Moscow that US proposals to build a missile defence system in Europe could lead to a new arms race with Russia. | Nato's chief has discounted concerns in Moscow that US proposals to build a missile defence system in Europe could lead to a new arms race with Russia. |
| Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the system would not affect strategic balance or threaten Russia. | Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the system would not affect strategic balance or threaten Russia. |
| Moscow strongly opposes the system. Washington says it is needed to protect the US and Europe from possible attack by hostile nations such as Iran. | Moscow strongly opposes the system. Washington says it is needed to protect the US and Europe from possible attack by hostile nations such as Iran. |
| The US wants parts of the shield to be sited in the Czech Republic and Poland. | The US wants parts of the shield to be sited in the Czech Republic and Poland. |
| The plan is to base 10 interceptor missiles in Poland with an associated radar in the Czech Republic. | The plan is to base 10 interceptor missiles in Poland with an associated radar in the Czech Republic. |
| "Ten interceptors will not, cannot and will not affect the strategic balance and 10 interceptors can also not pose a threat to Russia," Mr de Hoop Scheffer said after talks at Nato headquarters in Brussels. | "Ten interceptors will not, cannot and will not affect the strategic balance and 10 interceptors can also not pose a threat to Russia," Mr de Hoop Scheffer said after talks at Nato headquarters in Brussels. |
| 'That extra mile' | 'That extra mile' |
| Due to its location, the proposed US missile defence system will not protect all Nato member states. Turkey and parts of Greece will not be covered. | |
| The secretary general said there was a desire among the 26-nation alliance that any US system should be able to work alongside any additional Nato defensive system to extend coverage to these two member states. | The secretary general said there was a desire among the 26-nation alliance that any US system should be able to work alongside any additional Nato defensive system to extend coverage to these two member states. |
| Earlier, alliance members agreed that "there is a threat to Europe of missiles" and that their security must be "indivisible". | Earlier, alliance members agreed that "there is a threat to Europe of missiles" and that their security must be "indivisible". |
| How defence system works | How defence system works |
| "There were no critical comments, but there was the strong belief that we should pursue the indivisibility of security and maintain maximum transparency," said Nato spokesman James Appathurai. | "There were no critical comments, but there was the strong belief that we should pursue the indivisibility of security and maintain maximum transparency," said Nato spokesman James Appathurai. |
| The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says winning the Russians around, or going that extra mile to try and embrace Moscow's concerns, may be a vital condition if harmony within Nato is to be maintained. | The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says winning the Russians around, or going that extra mile to try and embrace Moscow's concerns, may be a vital condition if harmony within Nato is to be maintained. |
| US officials said a number of confidence-building proposals had been put to the Russians and that discussions would continue. | US officials said a number of confidence-building proposals had been put to the Russians and that discussions would continue. |
| The Russian ambassador, Konstantin Totsky, said that if there was a common missile threat as the US says, then there should be a common security approach to meet it. | The Russian ambassador, Konstantin Totsky, said that if there was a common missile threat as the US says, then there should be a common security approach to meet it. |
| Mr Totsky hinted that Russia's response would be to deploy new systems of its own - what the Russian diplomat described as an asymmetric response that would be cheaper than the US programme, says our diplomatic correspondent. | Mr Totsky hinted that Russia's response would be to deploy new systems of its own - what the Russian diplomat described as an asymmetric response that would be cheaper than the US programme, says our diplomatic correspondent. |