Russia seeks U.S. missile clarity

Ivanov, left, and Powell say Star Wars dialogue will continue

ROME, Italy -- Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has called for more clarity on U.S. plans for a missile defence shield.

In advance of a summit between President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ivanov met U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on the sidelines of the G8 foreign ministers meeting.

Ivanov said Moscow was willing to carry on talking about a new strategic framework, including the missile defence system which would be developed to shoot down incoming missiles.

But he added: "As for timing, I would appreciate a more clear picture on that."

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Powell, standing next to Ivanov at a news conference after their two-hour meeting, said: "We had a thorough discussion on strategic issues and the U.S. desire to move forward on a new strategic framework proposal that deals with offensive strategic weapons and defensive systems."

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Ivanov said Russia was prepared for "substantive and concrete" discussions on strategic stability.

Powell said the Pentagon's plans would become more clear "in the very near future" and would give Russia a "basis upon which to make judgements as to how we should move forward."

Ivanov was asked if he had a clear sense of how much time Russia has to work out an agreement with the U.S. before Washington undertakes missile defence activities that would go beyond the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM).

But he merely re-affirmed that Russia was prepared to continue dialogue on strategic issues, which began when U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin met at a summit in Slovenia last month.

Putin and Jiang Zemin are fiercely opposed to the U.S. plans

Ivanov and Powell held a working breakfast before the start of a meeting of foreign ministers of the G8 nations later on Wednesday.

Russia has been staunchly opposed to any changes in the Soviet-era ABM treaty with Washington and has said the recent U.S. test of a missile interceptor was a threat to the entire structure of nuclear disarmament treaties.

Putin, speaking at a wide-ranging Kremlin news conference on Wednesday, said Russia was had "enough of its own nuclear deterrent" and was "prepared for any eventuality."

Italian Defence Minister Antonio Martino said Italy backed the controversial U.S. plan for a missile defence shield. He said an agreement on the issue needed time but should not to be ruled out.

"A world free from the nightmare of missiles with a nuclear, chemical, or biological warhead is a world where I would like to live," Martino told Corriere della Sera newspaper.

He said it was "good news" that a U.S. test on the project over the Pacific Ocean had been positive and added that the high cost was irrelevant compared with the benefits the shield would bring.

Asked whether he thought the Rome meeting and the heads of state summit in Genoa beginning on Friday could bring progress in talks on the shield, which is opposed by Russia and China, Martino said any steps forward would need time.

"The issue will not be solved in a week. They will not find an agreement at the G8. But this does not mean the shield will not be done. On the contrary," said Martino, foreign minister in Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's previous government in 1994.

"My impression is that progress, if there will be progress, will need time. But we must not consider words which if interpreted literally might induce pessimism as barring future developments."

Martino said he believed Putin was not hostile to the project, but did not consider it urgent.

"He also does not say the (ABM) cannot be modified ... but he wants everyone to know that if you don't involve us, if you don't talk with us, we are opposed."

On EU opposition, he said: "I don't see a monolithic front against (the plan) ... I would not say the Europeans are against. There are some governments which have objections," he said.

Britain has broadly backed the missile plan, but other Europeans are concerned it will undermine existing arms control agreements. France has warned it could lead to the proliferation of ballistic weapons.