WASHINGTON, May 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice will visit Russia next week for talks with Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov on the U.S. plan to deploy missile defense system in East
Europe, State Department Sean McCormack said Monday.
"There are a lot of issues to talk about in the
U.S.-Russia strategic relation, spanning from nuclear nonproliferation to
missile defense to the development of democracy in Russia," McCormack said.
Rice is expected to make new efforts to persuade
Moscow to accept the missile defense system.
The United States has claimed the missile defense
system is aimed against states and groups in the Middle East that are seeking
weapons of mass destruction, not against Russia.
The United States plans to base missile interceptors
in Poland and radar units in the Czech Republic as part of a project to extend
the missile defense system to Europe. Russia has voiced opposition over the
plan.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Moscow
last month to try to persuade Russia to accept the missile defense system.
However, the visit failed to assuage Russian opposition to the U.S.
plan.
PRAGUE, May 7 (Xinhua) -- It is necessary to further communicate with
Russia about the planned U.S. radar base on Czech territory, Czech President Vaclav
Klaus and U.S. Ambassador Richard Graber agreed at a meeting on
Monday.
Graber said it is necessary to carry on the talks
with Moscow. Full story
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