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Clinton meets with Polish counterpart

Other News Materials 26 February 2009 00:25 (UTC +04:00)

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Wednesday as the United States reviews plans to field a missile-defence system in Eastern Europe, dpa reported.

The two diplomats did not raise the issue during their brief appearance before reporters before meeting behind closed doors.

The Bush administration forged an agreement with Poland for hosting 10 interceptors missiles, while the Czech Republic would be the site for its radar.

President Barack Obama has not said whether he will proceed with the plans that have angered Moscow and dragged US-Russian relations to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.

Russia views the deployment, which would be in place by 2013 under the Bush administration's plans, as a threat to its nuclear deterrent and an encroachment on its historic sphere of influence.

The Bush administration maintained the system is too small to counter Russia's strategic nuclear arsenal and is designed to fend off the potential threat posed by Iran's growing ballistic missile capability.

After meeting with Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg February 10, Clinton suggested Washington would "reconsider" the plans if Iran dropped its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The Obama administration is conducting a review of current US policies across a wide range of issues, including on missile defence. The administration has hinted at the possibility of at least slowing the deployment.

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