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Meeting between presidents Obama and Medvedev to also focus on deployment of U.S. missile defense system in Caucasus: Russia's permanent representative to NATO

Politics Materials 23 September 2009 19:51 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, September 23 / Trend , E.Tariverdiyeva /

Deployment of missile defense system in the Caucasus - it is the second or third stage which is clearly not the question of next ten years, but the Russian side is waiting for clarification of U.S. plans for deploying missile defense system in the Caucasus, said Russia's permanent representative to NATO Dmitry Rogozin.

"We expect a more serious explanation of American plans, Rogozin told Trend by telephone from Brussels. - Today Obama and Medvedev must meet. I think that the talks will focus on this topic."

Presidents of Russia and the United States will hold talks today in New York within the UN General Assembly.

On the eve of his visit to the United States, Dmitry Medvedev said that Moscow and Washington have "quite high chances" to complete negotiations on reducing strategic offensive arms by the end of the year. All that Russia does in this regard are "dictated by our understanding of national interests, just like everything that the United States government does is motivated by national interests of America," he said in an interview with CNN.

Another important topic will be discussion on missile defense system. "During a meeting with President Obama, we will have a good opportunity to exchange views on all aspects of strategic stability, including missile defense system, Medvedev said last Thursday, commenting on Obama's statement amending approaches to the issue of U.S. missile defense system. - I hope that we'll task the appropriate departments of our two countries to intensify cooperation, including with the involvement of European and other states concerned.

Within the new architecture of American missile defense system in Europe, the Pentagon plans to deploy radar for early warning of missile launches in the Caucasus instead of the Czech Republic, Marine Corps General James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Friday, ITAR-TASS reported. Cartwright attended a press conference held by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to explain President Barack Obama's decision to scrap plans for anti-missile defence systems in Eastern Europe, namely Poland and the Czech Republic.

According to the General, the new architecture still envisages deployment of early warning radar, which operates in the centimeter range. "And most likely it will be done in the Caucasus," said Cartwright, without specifying where.

According to Rogozin, Russian side paid attention to the words of Cartwright on the deployment of missile defense system in the Caucasus.

"With our military specialists, we carefully studied the real possibility of Americans to deploy firstly the radar," said Rogozin.

He believes that in fact the Americans generally give up the radar of wide range of actions.

"I believe that they have enough armed with interceptors, which can be installed on the heavy Aegis cruisers," said Rogozin.

With regards to deployment of missile defense systems in the Caucasus, he said that for Americans the Caucasus is Iran and Turkey. "I think that likely it deals with deployment of the U.S. missile defense system in Turkey," added Rogozin.

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