Putin plan would remove need for US radar-Kremlin

HEILIGENDAMM, Germany, June 7 (Reuters) Russian President Vladimir Putin's idea of using a radar station in Azerbaijan to develop a missile shield would remove the need for a US radar in central Europe, a Kremlin spokesman said today.

At a meeting with US President George W Bush during a Group of Eight summit, Putin suggested the United States and Russia jointly use a radar in Azerbaijan to develop a missile shield that would cover all of Europe.

''If there were radar in use at the Qabala station in Azerbaijan then there simply won't be a need for another radar in Eastern Europe,'' Kremlin deputy spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters.

The US missile shield plan calls for stationing 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic.

Reuters SYU DB2234