US-russia to reach agreements on missile defence

Moscow, July 30 (UNI) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today the talks between Russian-US delegations in Washington on the missile defence issue might be in Russia's interests.

''We hope that they will allow approaching accords in the channel of Russia's interests,'' Mr Lavrov told President Vladimir Putin during a meeting, ahead of the two-day talks of joint working group on the missile defence in Washington, which was set up recently following an agreement between Putin and the US President George W Bush.

Russian delegation would be led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak, in charge of disarmament.

Representatives of the defence ministries of the two nations would also participate in the negotiations, Itar-Tass news agency reported.

The US announced its plans to deploy the 'third site' of global missile defence system (the first two being in Alaska and California) in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Russia strongly opposed the US move calling it a threat to its security. It also proposed to the US to use its Gabala radar station in Azerbaijan and a new radar in South Russia's Krasnodar Territory.

''Russia's proposals are an alternative, not an addition, to the US plans to deploy elements of its missile defence system in Europe,'' the official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Mikhail Kamynin said in a statement yesterday.

Meanwhile, Washington insists on going ahead with its plans while taking the Russian offer into consideration.

UNI