MOSCOW, April 20 (AVN) - The Russian attitude towards construction of the National Missile Defence (NMD) system by the United States has not changed, Marshal Igor Sergeyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin's assistant on strategic stability issues, told the State Duma lower house of parliament on Friday.
"We are ready to negotiate on further reduction of offensive weapons in case of unconditional preservation of the 1972 ABM treaty as the basis for those reductions," Sergeyev stressed. Russia is elabofrating various variants of reprisals that will depend on the opponent's position. "Our main aim is to preserve strategic stability in the world, preserve the long-standing procedure of control and reduction of offensive weapons," Sergeyev added.
The NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council will consider non-proliferation of nuclear weapons during its session on April 26. The session's agenda also includes discussion of Russia's proposals concerning establishment of a European antimissile defence system. The Europeans' interest in Russia's proposals has not vanished, but rather increased, Sergeyev concluded.