Russia welcomes to join U.S. missile program in Europe: official

The planned U.S. missile defense site in Europe won't threaten Russia and the U.S. government welcomes Russian participation in the program, a senior U.S. official said on Monday.

Patrick O' Reilly, deputy director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), told a press event in Washington that the United States and Russia have already entered discussions on the plan.

"The Russians are welcome to participate broadly in the deployment program, " he said, adding that he believes that Russia's defensive capability will be enhanced by the participation.

Repeating the Bush administration's official line, O' Reilly said the planned missile defense site in Europe "would not negate (Russia's) arsenal, and it is not intended to do so."

He said Japan, Britain and Australia are already actively participating in U.S. missile defense plans.

Poland and the Czech Republic want to reopen discussions with the U.S. government on plans to set up U.S. missile defense sites on their territories, said O' Reilly.

He expected formal negotiations on the issue will start in months, if not in weeks.

The U.S. State Department recently announced that the Czech Republic and Poland had agreed to start detailed discussions with Washington on hosting part of a U.S.-built shield against ballistic missiles.

Russia has cast doubt over the U.S. plan, saying Moscow did not believe that U.S. missile defense system was needed in Europe.

Russian Defense Minister Sergie Ivanov alluded that the real target of the anti-missile system was Moscow.

He said last Wednesday that as Iran had no long-range ballistic missiles that could hit Europe, the proposed U.S. missile defense system in Eastern Europe could not be directed against Iran.