MADRID. March 3 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia is ready to discuss with the U.S. constructive proposals on missile defense issues that meet the interests of both Russia, Europe, and the U.S., Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told a press conference in Madrid on Tuesday.
"If the new U.S. administration manifests common sense and proposes, let us say, some new construction that would satisfy all Europeans and the U.S. and would be acceptable to our country, we are ready to discuss it," Medvedev said.
Medvedev reiterated that it should be "a normal, full-fledged, global construction, not a fragment located near the Russian border."
Medvedev also reiterated that there can be no exchange with the U.S. on ABM issues. "Speaking about some exchanges, I can tell you, we don't do such things, it's not productive," he said.
"We have always had big doubts about ABM issues - in the way they were presented by the previous administration. The ABM initiative that has recently been proposed does not strengthen security on the European continent, but on the contrary, complicates it," he said.
"In this sense, Russia's position was simple: let us just work on ABM issues together, create an effective and reliable shield from various threats. If we speak about fragments of this system, which are located near the Russian border, it cannot help but concern us," Medvedev said.