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No final decision on missile defense in eastern Europe: Clinton

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-10-14 21:04

MOSCOW: Visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday the US government had not yet made a final decision on the deployment of a missile defense system in eastern Europe, local media reported.

Clinton said she did not know a possible deadline for the United States to deploy the missile shield and the question should be answered by technical experts.

The US government believed the Bush administration's missile shield plan did not meet today's challenges, she said.

Clinton, who was on her first visit to Russia since taking office, also said Russia and the United States were no threat to each another, and the two countries should enhance bilateral cooperation.

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US President Barack Obama announced last month that Washington would abandon the missile defense shield program and initiate a "phased, adaptive approach" in East Europe.

The Bush administration had planned to deploy 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic as part of its European missile shield to protect its European allies from missile threats from "rogue states."

Russia strongly opposed the Bush-era plan, saying it posed a threat to its national security.

Under the new plan, Washington would replace the land-based facilities in eastern Europe with sea-based systems.

After Obama's announcement, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev officially declared Russia would scrap plans to install short-range Iskander missiles in its western enclave of Kaliningrad.