(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-10-14 09:56

MOSCOW -- Tension between Russia and the United States on missile defense issues did not ease as both sides failed to agree on any key points during their talks in Moscow on Friday.

The talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin, visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and foreign and defense ministers from both countries, focused on missile defense, the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, and ways to further reduce offensive arms after START-1 (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) expires in 2012.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice attend the news conference after their talks in the "two-plus-two" format in Moscow, Oct. 12, 2007. Russia and the United States had failed to reach any agreement on missile defense, Rice told reporters on Friday. [Xinhua]

However, the two sides failed to overcome differences on the US plan to deploy 10 ballistic missile interceptors in Poland and a tracking radar in the Czech Republic, as well as Russia's proposals to extend the START-1, although both sides agreed to continue discussions at an expert level and resume the talks in six months.

Analysts said the US missile defense plan in Eastern Europe stood at the center of the conflict between the two powers, and their lack of sincerity to cooperate directly caused the talks to bog down.

Washington says the missile defense plan in eastern Europe is intended to stave off the threat from what it calls "rogue states," but Moscow strongly opposes it, seeing it as a worrisome step that undermines Russian security.

At a press conference after Friday's talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow had urged the US to freeze the plan during consultations between experts,

But Rice said later in an interview with Russian TV channel "Rossiya" that the United States should start deploying elements of its missile defense shield in Central Europe without delay.

Lavrov warned that if the United States deployed missile defense elements in Europe, Russia would be forced to take steps to "neutralize" the threat posed by the US anti-missile system.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) chats with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as they attend the news conference after their talks in the "two-plus-two" format in Moscow, Oct. 12, 2007. Russia and the United States had failed to reach any agreement on missile defense, Rice told reporters on Friday. [Xinhua]

Putin asked the United States to abandon the plan, warning it would hurt bilateral relations.

He also threatened to pull his country out of the Russian-US Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) unless it was extended to other countries.

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