NATO Makes Cautious Comment on U.S. ABM Pullout

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, December 14, 2001

NATO Makes Cautious Comment on U.S. ABM Pullout

NATO made cautious comment Thursday on the United States' decision to unilaterally withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the Soviet Union and apparently press ahead with a missile defense system.

The 19-ally defense bloc, which is seeking to forge a closer relationship with Russia, welcomed Washington's pledge to work with Moscow for greater stability and "cooperation on security issues, including dramatic reductions in strategic nuclear weapons ".

"The United States explained that today's decision is in the context of the development of appropriate means to counter new security challenges and terrorist threats such as weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery," NATO Secretary-General George Robertson said in a statement.

U.S. President George W. Bush gave formal notice that Washington was withdrawing from the treaty that had stood for decades as a foundation of strategic nuclear balance between the U. S. and Soviet Union, the two super powers during the Cold War era.

However, the United States and Russia, the main core of the former Soviet Union, have recently made progress on reducing strategic nuclear stockpiles and hope to tie up a new arms deal in time for a visit to Moscow by Bush in mid-2002.

"NATO welcomes the pledge of the United States of America to develop a new framework of cooperation with Russia to enhance stability and reinforce cooperation on security issues, including dramatic reductions in strategic nuclear weapons," Robertson said in the brief statement without expressing support for the U.S. announcement.

Analysts said the statement masked differences between European allies such as France and Germany, who saw the ABM treaty as the cornerstone of stability and arms control, and others such as Britain, Spain and Italy, who have been more supportive of Bush's plans.

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