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Russia warns of "military measures" over shield concerns (Extra)
Apr 8, 2008, 15:11 GMT
Moscow - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that Moscow could react with 'measures of military-technical character' if elements of the US missile defence system are deployed in Poland and the Czech republic.
Lavrov said that Russia's security concerns could only be met if the United States and countries hosting its planned missile shield allow for a 'permanent' Russian military presence.
'It is crucial for us that we should be able to see second-by- second where that radar is looking, and what is happening at the missile interceptor base,' Lavrov was quoted as saying in an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio station.
'There is nothing personal here, it's pure business. It's not against the United States, but it is absolutely necessary to provide for the security of the Russian Federation,' Lavrov said.
Lavrov's comments came as Russian-Polish talks on missile defence ended inconclusively in Moscow on Tuesday.
While the United States says a missile defence system in Eastern Europe is needed to protect against 'rogue states' such as Iran, Russia considers it a threat to its own security and its nuclear deterrent.
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