US to offer new missile proposals to Russia

The US appears ready to make a new proposal to convince Russia to agree to its missile defence plans.

The US appears ready to make a new proposal to convince Russia to agree to its missile defence plans.

Mr Bush's top foreign policy advisor, Ms Condoleezza Rice, announced yesterday that Washington was prepared to make a new offer to Moscow. "We hope it's an offer they can't refuse," she told NBCtelevision.

Yesterday, Russian Defense Minister Mr Sergei Ivanov was quoted as saying it was "theoretically" possible for the two sides to reach a new agreement that would replace the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty.

Moscow has previously opposed the plans, and some European states fear the US shield could prompt nations such as Russia and China to reinvest heavily in nuclear arms.

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But the Russian defense minister said Moscow was willing to hold new talks over missile defence, provided that Washington was ready to strike a deal.

"Theoretically, I do not exclude such a deal," Interfaxquoted Mr Ivanov as saying.

"But we must still clearly understand what sort of missile defence system the United States is planning to build, what technical capabilities are involved," he said.

AFP