U.S. steps up pace to deploy anti-missile system in Eastern Europe

    PRAGUE, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The United States is stepping up the pace to deploy its missile defense system in Eastern Europe as Washington started the first round of negotiations with the Czech government on establishing a radar station in the East European country Thursday.

    The two-day vice ministerial-level talks focus on the political,legal and technical issues surrounding the setup of the radar station and the size and choice of the site of the base, Czech media reported. Full story

U.S., Russia agree to solve anti-missile disputes

    WASHINGTON, May 4 (Xinhua)-- The United States has reached an agreement to hold top-level meetings to resolve an escalating dispute over American plans to build anti-missile system in Eastern Europe, a senior U.S. official said Friday.

    "We have agreed to a Russian suggestion that the secretaries of defense and state meet with their Russian counterparts and do so in a so-called 2+2" format, Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried told reporters. Full story

U.S. hopes Russia to join missile defense system

    WASHINGTON, April 30 (Xinhua) -- President George W. Bush on Monday defended that U.S. missile defense system is to prevent attacks from the "rogue regimes" and reiterated his country's call for Russia to take part in the plan.

    "Our intention of course is to have a defense system that prevents rogue regimes from holding western Europe and/or America hostage," Bush said as he welcomed European Union leaders to the White House for the annual US-EU summit. Full story

Putin slams U.S. plans for anti-missile system

    MOSCOW, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday lashed out at U.S. plans to deploy anti-ballistic missile systems in Poland and the Czech Republic.

    "We see absolutely no arguments in favor of the deployment of missile defense systems in Europe; there are no such reasons," Putin was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying after discussing such issues with his visiting Czech counterpart in Moscow.  Full story