Posted on 05/14/2007 11:30:58 AM PDT by lizol
Poland, U.S. begin formal talks on missile defense
The Associated Press Published: May 14, 2007
WARSAW, Poland: Poland and the United States opened formal talks Monday on Washington's contentious request to place part of a new missile defense system in the eastern European nation.
Robert Loftis, the State Department's senior adviser for security negotiations and agreements, met with two members of Poland's conservative government, which has signalled interest in hosting a U.S. site.
But Warsaw must also contend with Russian threats that doing so would spark a new arms race. Some government members have said they would agree to the plan only with additional security guarantees from Warsaw, such as the additional placement of Patriot missiles.
The meeting was "a good beginning" and "the first in a whole series of talks on missile defense," said Andrew Schilling, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw.
Loftis met with Poland's Deputy Defense Minister Boguslaw Winid and Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, according to the Defense Ministry.
"They had a good initial discussion, and there was an exchange of views on how the negotiations would go and on how to approach the missile defense negotiations," Schilling said.
He declined to give any further details on Monday's meeting, but said talks next week will deal with the "broader policy aspect" of the potential missile defense agreement. The U.S. will be represented by John Rood, Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation.
Jaroslaw Rybak, the Defense Ministry spokesman, stressed ahead of Monday's meeting that it would not produce immediate decisions "because this is not the appropriate level."
Among issues that the two sides must address are the legal status of a possible U.S. anti-missile base on Polish soil and the American personnel stationed there.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
Contentious? According to whom? Moscow? Brussels? DNC Headquarters?
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